General Information & Updates
For up to date information regarding Fond du Lac County, please visit the Fond du Lac County Health Department’s COVID-19 website or Facebook page, or the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. If you have general questions about COVID-19, call 211 or text COVID19 to 211-211.
For a free virtual screening call (844)225-0147 (Fond du Lac County residents only) or visit ssmhealth.com/covid19.
Local Health Providers
Agnesian Healthcare, a member of SSM Health, has numerous resources on their COVID-19 resource page.
Aurora Health Care has numerous resources on their COVID-19 resource page.
Mental Health Providers
Need help finding a mental health provider or other services? Use the Pathways To Care guide to learn about and connect with local resources.
Managing Your Mental Health
If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, free & confidential help is available 24/7.
- Disaster Distress Helpline: Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255 (Veterans Press 1) or Online Chat
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOPELINE to 741741
- Fond du Lac County Crisis Intervention: (920)929-3535
- Local “Warmline” options for non-crisis situations (see below)
- Online Support Options
- WisHope: Behavioral Health Resources & Recovery Coaching: 844-947-4673
- When you need help and don’t know where to turn, 211 Wisconsin is your one-stop connection to the local services you need
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As the current situation continues to unfold, remember to be mindful of your mental health, as well as the mental health of others. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.
It is perhaps more important than ever to reach out to others you think may be struggling. Ask them how they are doing. Take time to listen to how they are handling the changes, and make sure they are aware of the various resources available.
A few ways to cope include:
- Staying connected to family, friends, and other supports through phone calls and texts. Maintain physical distance, but stay socially connected.
- Getting accurate health information from reputable sources while also setting limits on media consumption (including social media, local or national news).
- Attending to your physical health by staying active, getting enough sleep and rest, staying hydrated, avoiding excessive amounts of caffeine or alcohol, and eating healthy foods when possible.
Helplines & Mental Health Support
A number of helplines are available 24/7 that can be used both by those in crisis and those who are concerned about someone else but unsure of what to do.
Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor through the Disaster Distress Helpline. You can also reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOPELINE to 741741 to connect with the Crisis Text Line. Fond du Lac County Crisis Intervention can be reached at (920)929-3535. Additional crisis phone and text line options can be found HERE, in the Pathways to Care tool.
“Warmlines” can be a good option if you aren’t in crisis but just want to share how you’re feeling and connect with a trained listening ear. Three locally operated options are:
- (920)815-3217 NAMI Fox Valley’s Iris Place Warm Line “offers peer support for individuals experiencing emotional distress due to mental health or substance use. When you leave a message on the warm line, you can expect to receive a call back from a peer support specialist within 4 hours.”
- (262)336-9540 MHA Wisconsin’s R & R House operates a 24/7 warmline for active duty service members, former service members, and their families to call and receive support from a trained veteran.
Many mental health providers have transitioned to telephone or video-based visits to continue to provide services. Contact them to see what options are currently available. The Pathways to Care tool provides direct contact links to local Counseling/Therapy providers.
Virtual support is available. There are many Online Support Communities that can be accessed by those dealing with a variety of mental health challenges.
COVID Coach is a free app that was created to support self-care and overall mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. Features include education about coping during the pandemic, tools for self-care and to improve emotional well-being, trackers to check your mood and measure your growth toward personal goals, and graphs to visualize progress over time.
Websites & Articles with More Information:
- Collaborative Wellness (Ripon)
- Substance Use Resources for Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment & Recovery (DFC)
- Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force (Ripon volunteers)
- Resilient Wisconsin (WI Dept of Health Services)
- COVID-19: Manage Anxiety & Stress (CDC)
- Emotional Well-being During the COVID-19 Outbreak (Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
- Mental Health And COVID-19 – Information And Resources (Mental Health America)
- Staying Resilient During COVID-19 (WISE)
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty (AFSP)
- COVID-19 Information and Resources (NAMI)
- Talking to kids about COVID-19 (UW-Madison)
- Working Remotely During COVID-19: Your Mental Health and Well-Being (APA-Center for Workplace Mental Health)
- What to do in a Mental Health Crisis (NAMI)
Online Mental Health Screening
Take a free and anonymous mental health screening online to help determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a behavioral health professional. Immediately following the brief questionnaire you will see your results, recommendations, and key resources.
Financial distress can significantly impact mental health. UW-Extension has put together a website with many resources and answers to frequently asked questions. Financial Resources to Help Get Through Tough Times
Things to do at home during social distancing
1: Clean your home – Get those gloves out and scrub to your heart’s content! Have kids, and need to make a somewhat daunting chore more fun? Blogs such as SunnyDayFamily have spring cleaning games for kids!
2: Relax and read – Take time to simply sit back and enjoy a good book. If you do not have access to any new books at home, there are many sites to download free books such as BookRix or ABC Mouse (for kids).
3: Try some new recipes – Sites such as AllRecipes provide kid-friendly recipes that are fun and easy to make at home.
4: Attend to your physical health – If your gym is closed, consider going for a walk outside or taking advantage of online free workouts! Sites such as Fitness Blender have free videos, with no equipment necessary to help get you moving.
5: Practice mindfulness – Both kids and adults can benefit from a mindfulness activity. Mindfulness can help you to live in the moment, let go of negative emotions, and aid with decreasing stress and anxiety.
6: Try some fun arts and crafts – There are tons of kid friendly sites for arts and crafts such as Parents and Easy Peasy & Fun which give access to free craft ideas.
And finally…
7: Give yourself permission to be unproductive – Don’t get caught up in the pressure to make the most of every second of new-found free time. Give yourself and others around you permission to grieve, be afraid, to sit with these emotions, and simply slow down. Allow yourself to feel the reality of what you’re going through. Reach out to family and friends or journal your feelings. Remember: you don’t have to constantly present a brave face to the world if you’re having a tough time. If negative emotions start to become too much, make use of the crisis & non-crisis mental health resources listed above.