As we’ve all heard in the news, hospitals are filling up beyond capacity with very sick COVID-19 patients. Medical staff are faced every day with the overwhelming, traumatizing experience of treating patients during this pandemic, working 80+ hours per week, being understaffed (with many staff on furlough because of symptoms and lack of childcare), not having enough personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gowns, and not knowing what is coming next. These front line medical personnel are in need of increased resources to support their mental health, particularly as patient loads continue to increase and critical medications and PPE dwindle. On top of the overwhelming stressors of caring for patients during a pandemic, they are at risk of contracting COVID-19 themselves and spreading it to their loved ones. Many medical staff are living away from their families in temporary housing (eg college dorm rooms, motels), seeing their parents, partners, and children only via a tiny screen. We started The Emotional PPE project to be a source of personal protection supporting these heroes in their time of greatest emotional need. Any frontline worker supporting COVID-19 patients is free to contact and connect with a volunteer licensed mental health practitioner in the directory they feel is a good fit for them. Each of these practitioners is dedicated to providing free therapy to the medical workers. No insurance. No paperwork. Just a trained professional to talk to. The Emotional PPE Project. We've got you.
