Comprender el sistema de atención médica puede ser difícil para la mayoría de nosotros. El sistema de atención de la salud conductual es aún más complicado. Soy una trabajadora de salud comunitaria / promotora que está aquí para ayudarlo a navegar por el sistema de atención de salud conductual para que usted y sus seres queridos puedan obtener la atención que necesita.
Primero, ¿qué es la salud conductual? La salud conductual abarca tanto los trastornos de salud mental como los trastornos por uso de sustancias (también llamados adicción). El tratamiento está disponible, pero encontrarlo y comprender los beneficios del seguro puede ser difícil.
Mi trabajo es trabajar con personas para ayudarlas a encontrar el tratamiento que necesitan. Además, estoy trabajando para crear conciencia y apoyo a la comunidad hispana / latina. Personalmente conozco las luchas y barreras que las personas de habla hispana pueden enfrentar cuando buscan atención, y quiero ayudar a romper esas barreras.
Esto es lo que puedo hacer para ayudarte:
Asistirte en inglés y español.
Conectarlo con proveedores de servicios.
Ayudarle a encontrar necesidades básicas como alimentos y ropa.
Ayudarle a aprender acerca de las opciones de tratamiento.
Ayudarle a encontrar un proveedor de atención de salud conductual.
Ayudarle a encontrar ayuda para inscribirse en el seguro o Medicaid.
Ayudarle a entender los beneficios de su seguro.
Ayudarle a obtener naloxona, el medicamento para revertir la sobredosis de opioides, y mostrarle cómo usarlo.
Estoy disponible de lunes a viernes, de 8 a.m. a 4:30 p.m. Me pueden contactar en:
Here to help you find the services and treatments you or your family are looking for.
Hi, my name is Aracely!
Understanding the healthcare system can be tough for most of us. And unfortunately, the behavioral healthcare system can sometime be even more complicated. I’m a Community Health Worker/Promotora who is here to assist you in navigating the behavioral healthcare system so you and your loved ones can get the care you need.
First, what is behavioral health? Behavioral health encompasses both mental health disorders and substance use disorders (also called addiction). Treatment is available but finding it and understanding insurance benefits can be difficult.
My job is to work with individuals to help them find the treatment they need. Additionally, I am working to bring awareness and support to the Hispanic/Latino community. I personally know the struggles and barriers that Spanish-speaking individuals can face when seeking care, and I want to help break down those barriers.
Here is what I can do to help you:
Assist you in English and Spanish.
Connect you with service providers.
Help you find basic needs like food and clothing.
Help you learn about treatment options.
Help you find a behavioral health care provider.
Help you find assistance signing up for insurance or Medicaid.
Help you understand your insurance benefits.
Help you get naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug, and show you how to use it.
I am available Monday-Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm. I can be reached at:
To say that it has been a weird time to work in public health would be an understatement. COVID-19 has completely shifted the day-to-day realities and priorities of health departments around the globe. And while everything has seemingly changed, the foundation of public health—what makes public health so vitally important—has remained the same despite it all.
Staff attending the Latino Health Forum (Oct 2019), pre-COVID.
As I sit here and reflect on my past three years with Skagit County Public Health, I’ve got to tell you, it has been one heck of a ride! I remember during those first few weeks learning (in astonishment!) all the things that public health is responsible for. After all, I had never worked for a government agency before. I knew that people visited their health department to pick up birth and death records or to get information about community resources, but I couldn’t have imagined the depth and breadth of the work that is done here at 700 S 2nd Street in Mount Vernon.
As I walked around the halls and met my new co-workers, I discovered the many divisions that make up our team: child and family health, communicable diseases and epidemiology, behavioral health and housing services, environmental health and food safety, senior services, and community health and assessment.
Of these, emergency preparedness and response was only one small (though critical) part of the puzzle. During a staff training one day, I learned a bit more about this division and was surprised to learn that all public health staff could be activated during times of public health crisis. At the time, I couldn’t fathom what this would look like. Now, a year into Public Health’s COVID-19 response, I can tell you exactly what this response is like!
When COVID-19 first appeared in Washington State last year, County leadership was the first to respond: Unified Command was established and plans were quickly put into place to mitigate risks associated with disease transmission.
Public Health staff working the COVID-19 Testing Site at Skagit Valley College on a foggy spring morning.
Our Public Health staff was activated—slowly at first, then almost entirely by the summer of 2020. On any given day in June or July at Skagit County’s COVID-19 testing site, you might have seen a hand-full of Public Health staff working to register people or help to administer tests—at times even jumping car batteries—whatever they had to do to get the job done.
Back at the office, a whole team of staff were called to conduct case investigation and contact tracing, conducting investigations seven days a week. Big plans for 2020 that had been on our work calendars were adjusted or put on hold to accommodate the ever-increasing demands of our COVID response.
More recently, with our vaccination initiative in full gear, we are in a much better (and sustainable) place. Our Vaccine Site at the Fairgrounds and Vaccine Hotline have been blessed by hundreds of hard-working and dedicated volunteers who show up every day to help get our community vaccinated. Our staff has also grown and changed, with an influx of new temporary and part-time staff that have been hired to conduct case investigations and to provide vaccine services at our clinic.
Case investigators staying cozy in their PJs on Thanksgiving Day.
As the numbers of vaccinated individuals in the state continues to increase, it begs the question: What will life look like after COVID? And even: What will Public Health look like if/when the demands of COVID begin to subside?
This week is National Public Health Week and is the perfect time to highlight the role of Public Health. Although our work has primarily been centered around COVID-19 this year, it is in no way all that we do.
Here is a quick look at some of the other things your local public health department does:
Behavioral Health Services
Public Health works with community organizations and coalitions, school districts, and regional partners to ensure that help is available to those in need, including access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment and recovery services. For more: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HumanServices/mh.htm.
Child & Family Services
The Child & Family Health Division works with individuals, families, and the community to assure that all Skagit County children have the healthiest possible start in life, with particular emphasis on pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. Programs include the Nurse-Family Partnership, ABCD Dental, Parent Cafes, and Skagit Bright Beginnings. For more information: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HealthFamily/main.htm.
Senior Services
Our Senior Services staff at the office are only the tip of the iceberg; this is a huge team! We have five senior centers in Skagit County and a robust Meals on Wheels and Senior Nutrition program. While many senior services have been put on hold due to COVID, the nutrition program has been instrumental to our crisis response. For more information: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HumanServices/SeniorCenters/Home/Main.htm.
Developmental Disabilities Services
The Developmental Disabilities Program manages a variety of programs related to providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities, while also providing support for individuals and families and hosting community events and trainings to improve community awareness of developmental disabilities and inclusion. https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HumanServices/DD/main.htm
Housing Services
Skagit County Public Health partners with local cities and nonprofits to provide humanitarian response, emergency shelters, rental assistance and supportive services with the goal of improving access to housing and reducing homelessness. Most recently, Public Health has made emergency funding available to those who have been impacted by COVID-19, and this funding can be used toward rental or utility bill assistance. For more: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HumanServices/HousingMain.htm.
Environmental Health Services
Environmental Health is easily the most diverse division that we have here at Public Health. From drinking water and food safety to the on-site sewage program and hazardous waste, our EH team is always super busy ensuring our residents are safe and healthy. For more: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HealthEnvironmental/main.htm.
Communicable Disease & Epidemiology
The shining star of 2020! The Communicable Disease Program works closely with our healthcare provider partners to investigate notifiable conditions reported by health professionals, identify risk factors for disease, and provide education on how to prevent future infections. And we’re not just talking COVID-19! For more info: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HealthDiseases/main.htm.
Community Health and Assessment
Lastly, it is Public Health’s responsibility to think BIG: to analyze the data, identify the gaps, and propose new and innovative solutions. Public Health brings together a group of community leaders—called the Population Health Trust (PHT) —to solve Skagit County’s health issues that our community identifies. To learn more about the PHT, go to: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/PHTAC.
If you run into a Public Health employee this week, give them a big air-five! And next time you’re wondering what the heck Public Health does, please remember—we’re so much more than COVID!
The COVID-19 pandemic has many of us stressed and worn out. We have all faced changes to our daily routines, reduced contact with friends and family, and a loss of our sense of normalcy. Many Skagitonians have been hit with financial challenges due to job loss or changes to their businesses that could not have been anticipated prior to a few months ago. Adding to the stress is that the pandemic conditions appear to be getting worse and there is not a definite end in sight.
You have probably heard of the “fight-or-flight” response. This response works well if you need to run away from a bear, but not so great for long-term stressors like the COVID pandemic.
WHO Coping with Stress during COVID19
So what can you do if you are feeling stressed and worn out?
1. Limit how often you check news or spend time on social media.
It is important to be well-informed about the pandemic. Although some people take comfort in being informed, it is easy to get worked up and anxious from watching nonstop news coverage. Have you heard of the term “doomscrolling?” It’s a newly coined word for scrolling through a never-ending doom-and-gloom on your Twitter or Facebook feed for hours and hours. Many of us do it, but we can all find better ways to spend our time.
2. If you feel like you are stuck in a rut, change your routine.
We are now four months into the pandemic, and most people have settled into a familiar routine. Many of us are spending more time than ever at home and are growing tired of looking at the same four walls as our days blur together. If you feel like you are stuck in the same rut day after day, you should mix up your routine.
How? If your employer allows you to work from home and is open to flexible work hours, you can try working a different schedule. Take the time to exercise before you start work, or take a longer lunch hour and go for a long walk and end your workday later.
You can also take advantage of the time cooped up in your home by focusing on a do-it-yourself project that you have been putting off. Clean your garage, touch up some peeling paint, or take on a project in your yard. In addition to keeping you busy, when you are done with the project you will get the added satisfaction from having completed a project.
3. Find healthy ways to let off some stress.
The CDC provides some great tips on coping with stress during COVID. Most are common sense tips like:
Take care of your body—stretch or meditate, eat healthy well-balanced meals, and exercise regularly.
Get plenty of sleep.
Avoid excessive alcohol and drug use.
Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
4. Don’t be afraid to seek out professional help.
For some people, general stress and pandemic fatigue can become more serious. You should watch for warning signs that you’re having trouble coping, and should call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.
If you do not know where to turn, Skagit County is maintaining a list of behavioral health services and resources. A few key resources that are available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year are:
