(Originally posted on January 28, 2021)
 

You can also access resources and coping strategies from the panel below! Did you attend? What were your thoughts?

 

(Originally posted on January 18, 2021)

Rickard, a licensed psychologist, graduated from Washington State University in 2004. She is the CEO for Moment-by-Moment Suicide Prevention (@MbMSP) and co-founder of the National Center for Suicide Survivors PLLC (@helpforsuicide) in Wenatchee. She founded and directs the Suicide Prevention Coalition of North Central Washington in 2012 due to the rise in suicides at that time. She has worked diligently over the years to expand awareness and address high-risk populations locally. Rickard is well known throughout the Northwest region for her work in the primary care behavioral health model of integrating psychologists into medical settings, coaching physicians, working with difficult issues, suicide prevention, geriatric issues, and is a sought-after speaker on health and wellness topics. She works with employers, schools and senior facilities to assist in managing high risk situations, policy creation, pathways to care, dealing with loss and creating an engaging culture. Her work in senior suicide prevention was featured on PBS and NPR. Rickard is the keynote speaker for the upcoming 2021 Montana Gerontology Society conference.

(Originally posted on January 8, 2021)
 

As the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest and dark winter days continue into the new year, Wenatchee Valley residents are reporting more feelings of anxiety, sadness, isolation and discouragement.  Behavioral health concerns, such as an increase in depression and anxiety, are projected to worsen in 2021,  according to the Behavioral Health Impact Situations Report released by the Washington State Department of Health.

To help residents learn more about mental health, The Wenatchee World and the NABUR team invite readers to attend a free, interactive mental health panel for residents to meet experts, ask questions and take home  a list of resources.

Mental health is a multifaceted topic that affects members of our communities in different ways. To facilitate nuanced discussions regarding the intersection of mental health with different communities, the panel will be divided into five specialty topics: Older adults and mental health; Latinx communities and mental health; Children, remote learning and mental health; COVID-19 first responders and mental health; and Homelessness and mental health.

To combat these behavioral health concerns, the Department of Health promotes continued community resilience among workplaces, support groups and social organizations. Resiliency can be achieved by practicing:

• Adaptivity and psychological flexibility
• Developing safe social connections
• Reorienting behavior and focusing on a sense of purpose
• Focusing on hope

(Originally posted on January 14, 2021)
 

Rebecca Gear, LMHC, is a mental health provider who has lived all her life in Washington state with one brief summer abroad in Oxford, England. She began her career serving children and families in public schools from a multitude of roles including educator and dean of students. Through 20-plus years of experience in public education, she grew in her passion to help children and families grow understanding and well-being in their emotional, mental and relational lives. She headed back to school to pursue a master's degree in counseling psychology. She currently works with adults, children, couples and families as a licensed mental health counselor. Gear values time with her family and friends, walking, playing games, reading and exploring the great outdoors. Want to speak with Gear? RSVP here.