“COVID-19 Community Conversations” round five

— from Brendan Cowan for Department of Emergency Management —

This week “COVID-19 Community Conversations” continues with another three videos that highlight specific efforts from organizations and people in our community that provide key services and provide crucial leadership around the county.

You can find our entire collection of videos on our YouTube channel “San Juan County COVID-19 Response” HERE. We now have fifteen videos!

Here are the new ones this week:

Richard Uri: Richard is the Behavioral Health Coordinator for the San Juan County Department of Health and Community Services. He gives specific guidance and ideas for coping with quarantine and crisis. This video is intended for everyone, and his advice is deeply practical for all of us, not just those dealing with a serious mental health issue. Even if you feel fine you may be surprised how much this situation is affecting you. Richard also offers a useful guided tour through how to access information on the mental health resources available to county residents.

It’s no mistake that we have featured mental health professionals both this week and last. COVID-19 has pulled out the best and worst from all of us. We want to highlight this video as one of the most beneficial that we have shared. We strongly encourage everyone to watch it, to share it with loved
ones, and take seriously his advice.

The Team at RockIsland: It seems like even three years ago our options for remote communication and collaboration would have been severely curtailed. Throughout this crisis, internet use has skyrocketed, so we thought we would turn to local provider Rock Island for an update on how they are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Along the way they answer questions such as “How has internet use changed,” “How have they worked with local schools to help people with limited access,” and more.

Participants in this video were Alan Smith – Executive Vice President; Ali Boe – Director of Customer Support; Nick Groseclose – co-Senior Vice-President of Technology; and Fredrick Vaught – co-Senior
Vice-President of Technology.

Jami Mitchell: Jami Mitchell is a Senior Services Specialist working for San Juan County. She is also assigned to the Emergency Operations Center as the vulnerable populations branch director. Much of her work is involved in helping a coalition of local non-profits and agencies to get food and other essential supplies to vulnerable people. They have served more than 250 households, and performed more than 1715 home deliveries. They’re also sending out almost 500 meals a week to seniors in our county, providing a vital lifeline for vulnerable populations. Mitchell says, “We work together to make sure nobody falls through the cracks.”