Understanding COVID-19, Trauma, and Mental Health Impact

COVID-19 and Trauma Pamela Ford Senior Advocate- Investigator June 11-13, 2021

Presenter Pamela Ford Senior Advocate Investigator in Special Education on the Advocacy, Education, and Outreach team at Disability Rights Florida. Volunteered for the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Council for Disability Rights Florida from 2013-2018. Worked for four years at Bayview Community Mental Health Center and seven years at South Florida Behavioral Health Network in Miami-Dade County. Managed the HIV/AIDS Health Education Program for the Florida Department of Health in Ft. Lauderdale for seven years. 2

Disability Rights Florida 3

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Our Mission To advance the quality of life, dignity, equality, self determination, and freedom of choice for persons with disabilities through collaboration, education, and advocacy, as well as legal and legislative strategies. 5

COVID-19 and Trauma 6

Topics COVID-19, Trauma, and Mental Health Coping Strategies Special Education Housing Employment 7

COVID-19, Trauma, and Mental Health(1 of 3) COVID-19 is an extraordinary stressful event that has affected everyone Trauma is a deeply distressing and disturbing experience COVID-19 can cause traumatic experiences or intensify previous traumas Many of us are experiencing isolation and loss We may be having overwhelming, misunderstood, and uncontrollable emotions and anxiety that won t go away We are not alone in our thoughts, feelings, and experiences 8

COVID-19, Trauma, and Mental Health(2 of 3) COVID-19 is causing and increasing anxiety disorders Anxiety may include feeling restless, on-edge, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, being irritable, difficulty controlling feelings of worry, and sleep problems COVID-19 is causing and increasing depression disorders Depression is a constant feeling of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, and self-worth 9

COVID-19, Trauma, and Mental Health(3 of 3) COVID-19 is a traumatic event that we are all experiencing Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after a person has been through trauma The effects of COVID-19 have affected mental health disorder symptoms These can interfere with activities of daily living such as taking care of oneself, bathing, getting dressed, cooking, relationships, schoolwork, and job performance It s important to learn coping strategies for mental health challenges, build a support system (virtual, in-person), and seek professional help 10

Coping Strategies (1 of 2) Increase your knowledge and know your rights Make social connections Accept that change is a part of living Look for opportunities for self-discovery Nurture a positive view of yourself Maintain a hopeful outlook Keep things in perspective Take care of yourself Move toward your goals 11

Coping Strategies (2 of 2) Connect with others through Family Caf https://familycafe.net/ Access mental health resources through Disability Rights Florida https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/disability- topics/disability_topic_info/mental_health Access mental health resources through the Florida Department of Children https://www.myflfamilies.com/service- programs/samh/managing-entities/ 12

Special Education (1 of 4) COVID-19 has triggered many changes in K-12 education Special education students have been and continue to be most affected Structured routine, a special education strategy, is gone Parents of special education students have struggled to find ways to encourage their children to engage with virtual education and/or in person education When schools closed in the Spring of 2020, the U.S. Department of Education declared there would be no special education waivers 13

Special Education (2 of 4) All the timelines, services, and regulations in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) remain in force Under IDEA, students with disabilities are entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) IDEA guides how states, school districts, and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities Special education is called Exceptional Student Education (ESE) in Florida 14

Special Education (3 of 4) Children with disabilities who are eligible under IDEA and ESE has an Individual Education Plan (IEP). It is an individualized written plan that documents the need for specialized instruction, supports, and services Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on a disability in public preschools, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools receiving federal financial assistance Under Section 504, students with disabilities have rights to reasonable accommodations outlined in a 504 Plan 15

Special Education (4 of 4) Extended School Year (ESY) is a service necessary to ensure students are receiving FAPE Compensatory education is a legal remedy used to make up for services that should have been provided to the student but were not The legal standards for compensatory education and ESY remain in effect during COVID-19 Access special education information and resources through Disability Rights Florida at https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/disability- topics/category/special_education 16

Housing (1 of 3) COVID-19 has affected housing for many people It s important to know your rights for legal reasons and to reduce stress Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act is the Fair Housing Act. The intent of the Fair Housing Act is to ban discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, and disability in most housing transactions. Families with children are also protected The Fair Housing Act requires owners and landlords to make reasonable accommodations if the accommodation is necessary to ensure that a person with a disability has equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling or space 17

Housing (2 of 3) Some aspects of housing accessibility are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 Title II of the ADA covers the activities of State and local governments Title II requires public entities to make both new and existing housing facilities accessible to persons with disabilities Title III of the ADA covers public accommodations. It also covers public and common use areas at housing developments. 18

Housing (3 of 3) Some aspects of housing accessibility are covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Public housing and entities receiving housing choice vouchers are covered under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Access housing information and resources through Disability Rights Florida at https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/disability-topics/category/housing 19

Employment (1 of 5) COVID-19 has affected employment for many people It s important to know your rights and resources to reduce stress Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination in the workplace. Title I has been designed to address and remove barriers to employment so individuals with disabilities can enjoy the same employment opportunities as people without disabilities. A qualified individual with a disability has a right to engage in America s workforce free of discrimination by businesses with 15 or more employees 20

Employment (2 of 5) For additional information on the ADA and reasonable accommodations, visit these websites: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) https://www.eeoc.gov/ Job Accommodation Network (JAN) https://askjan.org/ The U.S. Department of Justice ADA Technical Assistance Program https://www.ada.gov/ The Able Trust http://www.abletrust.org/ 21

Employment (3 of 5) The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) https://faast.org/ 22

Employment (4 of 5) The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and the Division of Blind Services (DBS) is Florida s largest employment program serving the needs of Floridians with disabilities Both programs provide an array of employment supports and job placement assistance to eligible individuals with disabilities Services are individualized and based on a person s needs and employment goals Division of Vocational Rehabilitation http://www.rehabworks.org/ Division of Blind Services http://dbs.myflorida.com/ 23

Employment (5 of 5) Contact the following organizations if you are looking for a job: EmployFlorida https://www.employflorida.com/vosnet/Default.aspx The Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) https://askearn.org/ ABLE https://www.ableunited.com/ The Chamber of Commerce for Persons with Disabilities, Inc. http://disabilitychamber.org/ 24

Websites https://www.nih.gov/ https://www.nami.org/Home https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/awareness/ptsd_treatment_works.as p https://adaa.org/ https://familycafe.net/ https://disabilityrightsflorida.org/ https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience https://www.wrightslaw.com/ 25

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Thank You! Disability Rights Florida (800) 342-0823 2473 Care Drive, Suite #200 Tallahassee, FL 32308 www.DisabilityRightsFlorida.org 27