b'Building ResiliencyPuentes Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Team provides mental health care to the South Coast community. South Coast residents can participate in either group, individual, or family therapy at no cost. For many of our participants, this is the only point of access to mental health care. This year, our BHRS team provided services to 267 unduplicated clients and 46 unduplicated households. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increased need for mental health care and are averaging three new referrals each week. With the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals are experiencing depression, anger, fear, sleeplessness, irritability, andCommunity activities such as Da de los Muertos were deeply missed.the desire to self-medicate. Se extraaron las actividades comunitarias como el Da During the pandemic, Puentes mentalde los Muertos.health team shifted gears to provide group and individual therapy sessions over virtualThis year, our BHRS Team platforms or the phone. Remote telehealth has long been suggested as a strategy toprovided services to267provide greater access to mental healthclients and46families.care. Although there are challenges to providing remote therapy, it has allowed us to continue to provide critical mental healthOur brains are hard-wired for survival, and care during this time while keeping ourour fight, flight, and freeze responses are participants safe. often dominant over our higher-level The groups use an interactive format, andcognitive functioning, explains Puente the therapists offer insights, coping tips,therapist, Allison Bedford.and information. Our Madres groupsAs we work together to mitigate the mental focused on understanding the effect ofhealth effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, trauma on our bodies and how it affects ourthis is an opportunity to learn more about everyday lives. We reinforce that we aremental health including the importance of now living in a real-life traumaone withself-care, coping strategies, and support no beginning, middle, or end in sight. Thisnetworks. Bedford emphasized, Now, is a global trauma, and it impacts everyone.more than ever, is the time to normalize Our brains are working in survival modeseeking mental health support and reduce most of the time, which causes many of usthe stigma associated with therapy. Our to experience negative effects such asdepartment is a safe space for members of depression, anger, fear, sleeplessness,the community to seek this kind of irritability, and the desire to self-medicate. support. 241'