About the Plan
In response to the pandemic crisis, the City’s COVID Unified Command asked RAISE to create a plan that focused on mental health strategies to support those with pre-existing MH
needs and those with no prior history, and address stress and anxiety in this environment. RAISE developed and implemented this Community Mental Health and Resilience Plan. The Plan recommended mental health strategies that support all of Alexandria's workforce, parents, youth, and residents throughout and after the pandemic.
Strategies & Tools
Communication Plan/Targeted Outreach
- Strategy 1: Follow a Communications Plan that makes available resources easily accessible to people seeking them and targets outreach to communities in order to put resources “in the paths” of those who need them.
- Objective: Elevate existing mental health resources and make them easily available to targeted audiences
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Partners: DCHS Communications, OCCE, RAISE Network Members, Key community and faith leaders, ACPS, Boards and Commissions, PTAs, ARHA
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Activities:
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Worked with Communications Teams to promote mental health resources.
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Created a Wellness Resource Guide and a Guide for Coping with Fear and Uncertainty
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Created a Calling Tree to have partners distribute information to key audiences.
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Resilience Week VA
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Strategy 2: Collaborate with other Virginia TICNs in the first annual Resilience Week Virginia to bring resilience-building activities and events to all Virginians.
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Objective: Celebrate annual Resilience Week Virginia by bringing resilience-building activities and events to all Virginians
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Partners: DCHS Communications, ACPS DSSAPE, Mindful Junkie, DCHS Youth Development Team, Fairfax TICN, Greater Richmond TICN, SCAN, INOVA, DCHS Child and Family Behavioral Health Services, City HR, DCHS CCF
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Resilience-Building Activities:
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Resilience Week Campaign
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Daily Mindfulness Sessions with Students
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Mental Health & Resilience Town Hall
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Alexandria Trauma & Resiliency Summit
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Tools: 311, Mental Health Hotline and Parent Support Line/Text Line
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Strategy 3: Leverage existing tools and volunteers to help people seeking MH support.
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Objective: Leverage existing tools and volunteers to help people seeking Mental Health support
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Partners: City’s 311 service (DCHS 311 Liaison), RPCA’s Safe Place, Meals on Wheels volunteers, 911 Dispatch, DV and CPS hotlines, AHD COVID 19 Hotline, ACAP and SAPCA’s Teen Text Line, Fairfax County
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Tools Leveraged:
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Resiliency Guide/Toolkit
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Strategy 4: Develop a Toolkit that supports supervisors as they provide support to their staff.
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Objective: Develop a Toolkit that supports supervisors as they provide support to their staff.
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Activities:
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Organized Town Halls to introduce the Toolkit to City supervisors
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Racial, Economic, Immigrant Trauma and Healing
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Strategy 5: Develop a webpage on City’s website to include Resources for Racial Healing and Coping with Racism and Trauma
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Objective: Elevate resources related to coping with racism and trauma on individual, interpersonal/family, community and national/global levels
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Activities:
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Developed a Continuum of resources of Coping with Racism and Trauma
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Shared Continuum at a Town Hall Event: Facing Racism. Demanding Change
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Post-Pandemic Recovery
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Strategy 6: Support existing efforts that aim to promote community wellness and resiliency among youth and adults.
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Partners: DCHS Youth Development Team, SAPCA, ACAP, CYMP, DCHS Sexual Assault Center, Voices for Virginia’s Children, LGBTQ Task Force
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Objective: Support existing efforts that aim to promote community wellness and resiliency
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Initiatives:
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Bi-Weekly Mindfulness Wellness Circles
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Annual Youth Leadership Conference
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Youth Peer Advocates educating youth on healthy relationships
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RAISE Your Voice Infographics (English, Spanish, Amharic or Arabic)
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Trauma Trainings
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