Emergency Services: 540-373-6876

As an agency, we continue to monitor the situation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. Please check here for the latest RACSB updates.

Emergency Services

Emergency Services are still available. Please call 540-373-6876 if you or a loved one are experiencing a crisis.

Media Releases

Here are our media releases related to COVID-19:

Here is a media release from the Governor’s office about Medicaid updates.

Coronavirus Journal

Here is a printable anxiety journal, specific to the coronavirus outbreak. It is a good place to record feelings and worries, and provides some help developing coping skills.

Growing Recovery

Growing Recovery’s peer support groups are currently meeting via Zoom.  Please contact Tracy at [email protected] to register to participate.  Links will be sent after registration is received.

If you have questions, you can contact Tracy  at the above email or Carlie at 540-369-2797.

Outpatient Services

As of March 24, all medication management and counseling appoints will be held via telemedecine.

Case Management

Case Management services for mental health and developmental disability will also be conducted via telemedicine starting March 24.

Same Day Access

We have moved from Same Day Access to scheduled intake appointments. Instead of showing up at a clinic, we ask that you call ahead to schedule an intake appointment.

Please call your clinic to set up an intake:

  • Caroline County, 804-633-9997
  • Fredericksburg, 540-373-3223
  • King George, 540-775-9879
  • Spotsylvania, 540-582-3980
  • Stafford, 540-659-2725
Board Meeting

Our Board of Directors and committee meetings will be held at our River Club building for the near future, as the larger space allows for social distancing.

Day Support Programs and Groups

Day support programs are slowly reopening. You should be contacted by your case manager/support coordinator or by someone at the program.

Clinic Appointments

Most appointments are being held via telehealth. For people who need to be seen face-to-face, we do offer some in-office appointments.

When coming into the office:

If you have an appointment with us and don’t feel well, please call to reschedule.

We have revised our check-in procedures. When you arrive at the clinic, please leave your mobile number with the front desk. We ask that you wait in your car and we will text or call you when it is time to be seen.

Please do not bring any extra people to your appointments–only those who are essential.

Striking a Balance

We are balancing the needs of our staff, our individuals served, and our community as we try to follow safety and health guidelines concerning the outbreak. We are also aware that times of uncertainty are even more unsettling for individuals with developmental disability, mental illness, or substance use disorder.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call emergency services at 540-373-6876.

We also encourage you to take care of your mental health while looking out for your physical health during this time. Here are some resources to help:

Substance Use Disorder Resources

Virtual Meetings

12-Step Recovery Yoga Online meetings                                                   

Celebrate Recovery Official YouTube Channel                                                         

Friends in Recovery Virtual Support Meetings with Genesis House                                                    

Refuge Recovery online meetings  

ShatterProof – Virtual Recovery          

McShin Virtual Groups & Podcasts      

SMART Recovery Online Community and Meetings                                                 

Al-Anon Electronic Meetings

Narcotics Anonymous Virtual meeting list  

In the Rooms – Global Recovery Community 

Here is a link to online meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous. And you can find details on phone meetings here.

Smart Recovery offers an online community for individuals who wish to remain abstinent from drugs and alcohol and/or other problem behaviors or activities.

Life Ring Secular Recovery has an online meeting schedule set up to help during the coronavirus outbreak.

Please be aware that smoking, vaping, or methamphetamine use may exacerbate COVID-19.

Substance Use Disorder Potential COVID-19 Implications for Substance Use Disorder

Harm Reduction Resources for People who use Drugs

Phone Applications (Apps)

Use your iPhone (using the App Store) or Android Smartphone (using Google Play Store) to help your mind and body wellness for a healthier, happier life and get the most out of your day.

  • Calm
  • Headspace
  • Breathe2Relax
  • Mindshift CBT
  • Woebot
  • Stop, Breathe, and Think
  • PTSD Coach
  • Quarantine Chat
  • Sober Grid
  • AA Big Book Free – For Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Shine
Irritability, rage, frustration — they can burn us up inside. When the mind holds tight, the body can take on additional tension. You can’t prevent feelings from arising, but this exercise guides you toward releasing them more efficiently, fostering peace of mind.

Behavioral Health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released a sheet of tips for staying healthy and taking care of your behavioral health, including:

Reaching out to people you trust is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety, depression, loneliness, and boredom during social distancing, quarantine, and isolation. You can:

• Use the telephone, email, text messaging, and social media to connect with friends, family, and others.

• Talk “face to face” with friends and loved ones using Skype or FaceTime.

• If approved by health authorities and your health care providers, arrange for your friends and loved ones to bring you newspapers, movies, and books.

• Sign up for emergency alerts via text or email to ensure you get updates as soon as they are available.

• Call SAMHSA’s free 24-hour Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990, if you feel lonely or need support.

• Use the Internet, radio, and television to keep up with local, national, and world events.

• If you need to connect with someone because of an ongoing alcohol or drug problem, consider calling your local Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous offices.

Resources For Helping Children

Tips for helping children through the coronavirus outbreak, from our Prevention Services staff.

How to talk to your kids about the coronavirus

Child Mind Institute: Supporting Families During COVID-19

National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to Children About COVID-19 

UNICEF includes this tip sheet for talking with your children about the coronavirus.

And some more great tips for explaining the situation in age-appropriate ways.

For kids ages three to six, you might say: “There’s a germ going around, which is making people sick. We know that the best way to keep people safe from the sickness is to wash our hands a lot, and guess what, the doctors say we should sing some songs while we do that!”

The Converstation
Child and Adolescent Therapist Sara Connell combines crafts with coping skills in this video about mindfulness jars. Learn how to help your child find calm in the chaos.

Here are some coronavirus-related coloring pages to help keep kids occupied, while giving them opportunities to talk about how they are feeling.

And a great visual explainer on the coronavirus for children.

NPR has a comic to help explain coronavirus to children.

PBS Parents offers advice on destressing–for you and for your kids.

Research shows that just being in the presence of a compassionate, safe adult can help kids calm down. As families, we can be “that person” for each other.

Deborah Farmer Kris

PBS Parents also gives tips for talking to kids about the coronavirus, including reassuring them they are safe, sharing age-appropriate information, and talk about the ways they can help.

Author Mo Willems is offering a livestream doodling lesson.

My second grader tested out the doodling lesson.

How to ease children’s anxiety about coronavirus

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has this guide to coping during coronavirus for parents and caregivers and this guide for helping homebound children.

WHO: Helping Children Cope with Stress During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Rappahannock Court Appointed Special Advocates has these updates for volunteers, and resources to help families.

Astronauts reading stories from space? Yes, please.

Parenting in a Pandemic: Mindfulness tips for these times.

Mental Health

Find an expanded post on mental health resources here.

Check out Therapy in a Nutshell for some videos on helpful coping tips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpuqYFKLkcEryEieomiAv3Q

Depression and Bipolar Online Support Groups                                                       

Tip sheet for coping with obsessive compulsive order amid COVID-19

Coranavirus-specific tips from the International OCD Foundation

Dr. Jon Grayson on coping with COVID-19 with OCD

A few other ways to find support via phone or computer

  • Mental Health America of Virginia Non-Emergency Warm Line 866.400.6428  M-F 9am-9pm; Sat-Sun 5pm-9pm
  • National Suicide Lifeline (800)273-8255 or chat online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org 
  • The Trevor Project (866) 488-7386 or www.thetrevorproject.org
  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 24/7, confidential and free:1-800-799-7233 and through chat.
  • The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 24/7, confidential and free:800.656.HOPE (4673) and through chat.
  • The StrongHearts Native Helpline for domestic/sexual violence is available 7am-10pm CT, confidential, and specifically for Native communities:1−844-762-8483
  • The Trans LifeLine for peer support for trans folks 9am-3am CT:1-877-565-8860 This hotline is staffed exclusively by trans operators is the only crisis line with a policy against non-consensual active rescue.
  • National Parent Helpline Monday -Friday 12pm-9am CT emotional support and advocacy for parents:1-855-2736
  • Disaster Distress Hotline – A free, national hotline providing 24/7, 365- day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to disasters (including infectious disease outbreak). Trained counselors offer crisis counseling, information on recognizing distress, tips for healthy coping, and referrals for local care. For English speaker, call 1-800-846-8517 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. For Spanish speakers, call 1-800-985-5990 and press “2.”

Mental Health First Aid offers tips for helping individuals with mental illness during COVID-19.

A psychologist’s tips for handling anxiety during COVID-19

How to Help Someone with Depression or Anxiety during COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus-related resources from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Coping with COVID-19 if you have post traumatic stress disorder

Dr. Bruce Perry has a great podcast called Staying Emotionally Close in the Time of COVID 19.

‘FACE COVID’ – How to respond effectively to the Corona crisis, by Dr Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap. ‘FACE COVID’ is a set of practical steps for responding effectively to the Corona crisis, using the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Rolling Stone has a great article about what it’s like to experience the coronavirus outbreak as a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The Today Show has tips from mental health professionals for dealing with coronavirus anxiety.

Is There a Right Way to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety?

Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety (from Harvard Health)

Another article with ideas for anxiety.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer these pieces of advice for dealing with anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Check out the National Aquarium’s live streams and recorded videos for some beautiful relaxation.

The American Psychiatric Association provides advice for taking care of mental health during disease outbreaks.

CNN has an article on supporting your mental health during this time.

Some great tips on using deep breathing to relax.

So maybe it’s not completely connected to mental health, but this list of Broadway plays you can watch from home can make us all feel better, right?

The New York Times also has some tips on dealing with anxiety during the outbreak.

Keep Your Mind Grounded– Mental Health America

5 Minute Mindfulness Meditation – Diana Winston

Developmental Disability

Here is a list of resources from the ARC of Virginia.

Here is a roundup of 5-minute speech therapy activities you can do at home.

And a social story by Carol Gray about the pandemic.

A social story featuring young adults from Easter Seals and Illinois Autism Partnership.

Another social story from a teacher in Ireland.

Psychology Today has some ideas for explaining global pandemics to children with autism.

What is Coronavirus? from the Autism Society of Northern Louisiana

Special Needs Parenting in the Age of a Pandemic: An article written by the dad of a young man with autism.

What should the autism community know about COVID-19? From Autism Speaks.

What to do if your family member with autism is diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized

What to Do When Your Child on the Autism Spectrum’s Routine Is Disrupted by the Coronavirus

Sensory balanced daily schedules

In General

Here are some local resources for individuals struggling financially during this time.

Staying Safe during COVID-19 for survivors of domestic violence (National Domestic Violence Hotline)

antenerse segurx dur M ante COVID-19 – La Línea Nacional Contra la Violencia Doméstica

Your rights as a tenant during the COVID 19 Outbreak

Suggestions if you can’t pay your rent/mortgage because of COVID 19 pandemic

Marriage tips for quarantined couples

B101.5 offers Operation Carryout, a list of local restaurants offering carryout and delivery during social distancing.

Caremongering

Helping others is a great way to overcome your own anxiety. Here are some opportunities:

  • Spotsylvania County is asking individuals to write letters or create artwork to brighten the lives of area senior citizens. They provided these mailing addresses:

Resident
120 Dogwood Ln
Orange, VA 22960

Resident
6106 Health Center Ln
Fredericksburg VA 22407

Resident
4621 Spotsylvania Pkwy
Fredericksburg VA 22408

Resident
12100 Chancellors Village Ln
Fredericksburg VA 22407

Resident
3900 Plank Rd
Fredericksburg VA 22407

Resident
9300 Onyx Ct
Fredericksburg VA 22407

Resident
3500 Meekins Dr
Fredericksburg VA 22407

Resident
5308 River Rd #2231
Fredericksburg VA 22407

Now hiring HopeStarters

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