HJNO Jul/Aug 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS  I  JUL / AUG 2020 55 Jan Kasofsky, PhD Vice President of Behavioral Health & Human Services Access Health Louisiana to comprehend the present situation and to be prepared for another day. It is critical that you focus on self-care, and acknowl- edge what you have accomplished and achieved in the face of an unknown infec- tious agent. You must also focus on what you have learned and shared with your peers to better manage your patients each ensuing hour, day, and beyond. Here are a few things you can do for yourself, and for those close to you, to gain control and provide support: 1. Know enough of what is going on to stay healthy; information is power. Keep up with information on how to stay physically well, or to recover, by listening to health professionals. Don’t become overwhelmed by taking in too much information. Too much news, especially repetitive news, can be trau- matizing. 2. Attend to your ongoing health needs. Stay physically active, and eat foods that optimize your health. When you need medical care, schedule a face-to- face appointment, or ask if a telemedi- cine visit is appropriate. 3. Adopt a positive outlook , and seek out people and opportunities that bring you hope, peace, and joy. Consider using an app for self-care, such as myStrength. 4. Establish a daily routine, and set at least one goal daily. Identify how you can stay physically active, even if you cannot go outside, and weave that into the day; you likely have more time now to just do it. 5. If you are a parent or guardian of chil- dren or adolescents, be honest with them about what is known. If you are okay, they will be too. They may need help from you to structure their day. They need a daily goal and routine even more than you do, and accom- plishments build their self-esteem. 6. You are not alone, even if you are quarantined. The whole world is going through the same feelings of isolation that you are. If you are quarantined alone, so are your friends and mem- bers of your family. Take the lead, and be the one who calls to check up on others. You will not only make the oth- er person’s day, but you too will feel up- lifted, knowing that you did something positive. 7. Stay calm. Feeling stressed or anxious is a normal response to the coronavi- rus outbreak. It helps to look back at how you have successfully managed unknowns in the past. Don’t let your fear or edginess get the best of you, and keep an eye out for your loved ones. 8. Know when to get help. If you find yourself, or others near and dear to you, worrying to the point of being unable to focus on anything else, seek help, and encourage others to get help. If you find that you can no longer get a restful night’s sleep, seek help. If you find yourself drinking more, or using drugs as a crutch to cope, seek help. New and convenient ways to access professional help, and even virtual sup- port groups, are now available right on your phone. With teletherapy accessible on your phone or computer, you can get relief from your home, or in another con- venient and private location. Reach out— each of us will experience this pandemic differently, and we need to embrace new, or better ways to cope. We need to prepare for a new normal. Unfortunately, no one can tell us what the new normal will be. Now, more than ever, being flexible, nimble, informed, and vig- ilant about our own emotional state, and those around us, is critical. Not unlike the challenges we have faced in Louisiana be- fore, we must stand strong together, in sol- idarity, even if we’re standing six feet apart, in separate houses, or on separate front porches. n Dr. Kasofsky joined Access Health Louisiana (AHL) in March 2020 as the vice president of behavioral health and human services. In this role, she is responsible for mental health, sub- stance use disorder treatment, and related prevention and supportive services. She was recruited due to her successful management of the Capital Area Human Services District for the past 23 years as its first executive di- rector. She is a respected leader, known for innovative approaches in a variety of settings that are responsive to the needs of differing populations. She is recognized broadly for her creation and leadership of the cross-sector, Behavioral Health Collaborative, that solved many of the greater Baton Rouge region’s needs over the past 15 years, including the design of the crisis stabilization unit, and the recently completed regional response plan to the opioid epidemic.