UnityPlace is rolling out a new telehealth Access Center to assist people with behavioral health or substance abuse struggles through the COVID-19 crisis.
UnityPlace president Ted Bender said in the short-term, he's seeing exacerbated levels of depression, alcohol abuse, and anxiety disorders spurred by the stay-at-home order. The telehealth option allows people to get help even without being able to meet in-person or in a group session.
But Bender said this new mental health crisis doesn't end with that order.
"We're all grieving the loss of normalcy and the loss of our sense of safety. That has a tremendous toll on all of us. I see also a strong trauma impact from this," he said.
He says telehealth options to help people deal with that grief, trauma, and exacerbation of pre-existing behavioral health conditions or substance abuse will continue even after the pandemic has passed.
The Access Center phone number is 1-888-311-0321. You can also click here. For those in need of a crisis evaluation or counseling, call 671-8084 (Peoria County) or 347-1148 (Tazewell and Woodford counties). Call 911 for life-threatening situations.
UnityPlace is a partnership between UnityPoint Health, the Human Service Center, and TazWood Center for Wellness.
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UnityPlace Introduces New Telehealth Option For Mental Health And Addiction Help
Tim Shelley / Peoria Public Radio
