Updates regarding mental health services and announcements during the COVID-19 pandemic throughout Wisconsin

By nicolerolain
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    Opioid overdoses surge in Wisconsin

    WisPolitics.com stated that there was a noticeable upwards trend in opioid overdoses at the start of the pandemic. While the extent varied from county to county, this trend was visible throughout the whole state of Wisconsin, according to WisPolitics.com.
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    A noticeable increase in suicides is documented in Dane County

    Researchers found an increasing trend in the number of suicides throughout the county, documenting a total of 57 throughout the year thus far, according to David Wahlberg.

  • Specialists in the mental health field join Children's Wisconsin

    With a growing need to support youth mental health, Children's Wisconsin made the jump to obtain mental health experts for their team to aid children struggling with mental health problems, according to Rory Linnane.

  • A hotline becomes available to struggling farmers in the COVID-19 pandemic

    A hotline was opened for farmers dealing with increased stress in Wisconsin, according to Michelle Baik. Baik reported that this hotline was made for farmers with limited outside resources.

  • BRaVe Clinic extends free support for employees in the health care field

    This clinic was formed to provide free mental health resources to people in the Milwaukee area, according to Maddie Burakoff. Burakoff reported that this decision came as a response to struggling health care workers during the pandemic.

  • A grant is allocated to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to assist people struggling with mental illnesses during the pandemic

    $2 million was provided to DHS and allocated to many Wisconsin counties in order to help programs that are focused on mental health, according to WMTV.

  • Plans to fund a mental health center in Dane County are announced

    Emily Hamer reported that $300,000 was dedicated to funding a mental health center to create a space for people struggling with their mental health who may have previously been sent to jail.

  • The Northeast Wisconsin Suicide Prevention Summit takes place

    This event was designed to bring light to suicide and worsened mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Babs Santos. Santos reported that many mental health educators spoke about how to help struggling friends and family during this time.

  • A protest for the resumption of school sports takes place in Dane County

    Protestors in Dane County claimed that school sports should resume so that students don't face increased mental health issues, according to Michelle Baik.

  • The Farm Center decides to participate in programs that aim to increase mental stability for farmers

    The Farm Center wanted to provide farmers with better resources to help them out during the pandemic, so they teamed up with UW-Madison’s Division of Extension to promote mental health awareness and support, according to Patricia McKnight.