After experiencing for herself the benefits of Magellan Health’s youth leaders inspiring future empowerment program, also known as MY LIFE®, Emily Ferris, national director of youth empowerment, has been an integral part of the team working to reimagine the program. Ferris’ main responsibility in her role includes supporting recovery and resiliency initiatives. Also, as a certified peer support specialist, Ferris uses her lived experience of mental health recovery to help increase opportunities for young people to develop their resiliency. In the recovery and resiliency department, Ferris is focused on providing community-based engagement opportunities for young adults from a peer support perspective. Continue reading to learn more about Ferris’ work with recovery and resiliency:

What new and innovative projects are you currently working on at Magellan?

I’m really excited about the MY LIFE® initiative which Magellan launched in 2008. We’re currently working on relaunching MY LIFE® in our public sector businesses. We’re doing some exciting work around figuring out what the next iteration of the program will look like and how to keep providing the great educational and community integration opportunities that we’ve always had. We’re looking at the program holistically so we can continue to evolve to meet the needs of those individuals that we serve while moving the program into the future.

Why is Magellan the best place to do this project?

Magellan is really the only place to do this type of project in terms of being a leader. For years, Magellan has supported youth development and collaborated with youth serving systems. Since MY LIFE® began in 2008, Magellan has really focused on this population and the underlying principle that the program should be youth guided. Magellan has been actively investing in youth and young adults, we’re really leaders in that. Young people are at a crucial stage in the development of their future social, civic, economic, and vocational success. We recognize that it’s important for young adults to get excellent clinical services, but they also need opportunities to develop community and leadership skills. A lot of what we do is just giving young adults space to take on leadership and trusting in their abilities and strengths.

As a young person in my early twenties, I was introduced to MY LIFE® and through the program, I got the opportunity to tell my own recovery story, learn leadership skills, and learn how to advocate for myself and others. I can’t imagine any other organization being able to replicate the kind of success and work that Magellan has had with MY LIFE®. We have a whole team across many different lines of business who are really committed to offering youth opportunities to grow.

Could you expand more on your personal experience with MY LIFE® and how that’s helping you to provide input as the program is reimagined?

I’m an individual in recovery from an eating disorder and other various mental health conditions. I was really struggling with my mental health in my adolescence and early twenties and was connected to clinical services, but not successfully. I didn’t have a lot of hope, and it wasn’t that I didn’t believe in recovery, I just didn’t believe in it for myself. I was then connected with a community organization in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and that organization introduced me to peer support. Peer supporters are people who have lived experience of mental health or substance use recovery and they receive training and become certified to offer non-clinical support to other people on their recovery journey. I started to do some advocacy work through that organization which connected me to the MY LIFE® program. At the time, MY LIFE® offered monthly meetings that would offer motivational speakers and other educational opportunities. I got connected to some training programs through MY LIFE® and was eventually certified as a peer specialist.

I really credit the combination of those two programs with providing me with the skills I needed to develop a career. There isn’t anything more personally meaningful for me than having the opportunity to provide that same education and learning to other young people.

I worked for that community-run organization for a while before being hired with the Pennsylvania Health Choices Business, where I facilitated the Bucks County MY LIFE® program for almost five years. That was an opportunity to work directly with youth and to have them provide us with guidance as a serving system, to provide opportunities to them to learn and develop their own programming. They helped us launch a lot of great clinical programs in Bucks County and other educational events for the community.

I’m deeply committed to the program because I have not only benefited from it myself, but I’ve seen the benefits that it offers for other young people. I also never want to downplay MY LIFE’s® collaborations with community-based organizations that provide youth with the connections, knowledge, resources, and appropriate engagement that they need.

What are your thoughts on the culture at Magellan, and how has that culture impacted these projects?

In my experience at Magellan, there is a lot of willingness to collaborate with others doing great work in the communities that we serve. I think that just makes us stronger as an organization. There’s also a culture of growth at Magellan that has benefited me. The opportunities to be really engaged not only in what we’re doing well, but to also be incredibly supportive around making sure that we are continuously evolving to meet the needs of the people that we serve.

In what direction do you see healthcare going in the future?

I think peer support is increasingly being recognized as an essential offering for people, particularly youth and young adults. There’s still a lot of stigmas around mental health and substance use and work to be done about that, but we’re seeing the evidence that peer support is invaluable to people’s recovery. I can speak personally to the power of peer support. I think finding opportunities for people with lived experience to offer leadership is important. We’re starting to see more of that across the board in the healthcare setting.

Written by Thomas Lane, NCPS, CRPS

Every 40 seconds someone dies by suicide somewhere in the world.[1] The human tragedy of death by suicide is getting worse, with global suicide rates increasing 60% in the past 45 years.[1] Most people reading this article will know someone who has been impacted by suicide. One group of folks especially at risk for a suicide attempt are those who have tried to complete suicide previously. Data suggests that 20% of attempt survivors will make another attempt.[2]

I am one with personal experience. I am part of that 20%. As a double attempt survivor, I have haunting memories of those periods in my life when I was more fearful of living than I was afraid of dying. For me, those were the darkest, loneliest, and longest days of my life. After my second attempt in the winter of 1998, I wound up on a ventilator. I was in a coma for 12 days and when I woke up, I felt like someone was choking me. And I was angry. At the time, when I was literally regaining consciousness and coming back to the land of the living, my mom was downstairs with hospital administrators signing an agreement to discontinue life support for me.

As the saying goes, timing is everything.

After a lengthy and very shaky period, I began to get better. I was receiving good mental healthcare, redefining my circles of support, and I had a purpose. I came to believe I still had work to do. Now. On this planet. I had twice crossed the line of deciding I could not be here. Despite my best efforts, I was still here, facing my life. I decided I would seek meaning from as many of my experiences as I could. For the past 20-plus years, I have worked to build and advance peer support, particularly within the context of publicly funded healthcare systems, but also at the grassroots level and through public/private partnerships. I am more convinced than ever of the value, importance and unique perspectives folks with lived experience bring to the table, specifically those who choose to pursue careers as peer specialists. It has been and continues to be a transformative movement, even more so when we understand that many folks who make a choice to work in the peer support field, in the same delivery systems that may not have served them well, do so out of a passion for the work and to give back, to pay it forward.

I share this very personal experience as context for my next point.

In a 2016 survey of Magellan members receiving peer support services, 98% reported their certified peer specialist helps them to, both, improve their quality of life, and feel hopeful about their recovery.[3] Knowing what we do now about the effectiveness of peer support, and understanding the value of lived experience, I believe we can agree about the importance of connecting attempt survivors with peer supporters who have had similar experiences. For most, if not all, attempt survivors, there is a crucial time period after an attempt; I needed intensive support in the days following my second attempt. Sadly, intensive support is not always available, let alone offered by a peer who is also an attempt survivor. I can’t help but wonder, what would universal referral to, or at least an orientation about, peer support opportunities by and for attempt survivors, look like? Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a rapid, albeit sometimes rocky, migration to technology-enabled service delivery. Interestingly, peer support has been “technology-enabled” for years in the form of peer-operated warmlines. If you’re not familiar with warmlines, check out the National Empowerment Center at https://power2u.org/peer-run-warmlines-resources/ for great information.

When we consider suicide, we know it is all about prevention, that is, preventing people from attempting to take their own lives. I don’t believe there is a higher calling. Many of my peers with the shared experience of being an attempt survivor have expressed to me this is the most important work they do. We see the positive impact of attempt survivors speaking out about their experiences. We see the importance of eliminating shame associated with the topic of suicide. We know suicide is preventable. We understand that prevention requires dialogue, and dialogue isn’t always comfortable. Nonetheless, the topic of suicide must be brought out of the shadows and recognized as the public health crisis it is, one that we can do something about through evidence-based prevention and education practices. We know it does not increase a person’s likelihood of attempting suicide to talk with them about what they’re feeling. Fortunately, there are many, many organizations pledged to this work. From grassroots organizations founded by survivors of suicide loss to nationally recognized organizations, the conversation is changing. We must continue to be intentional in our approach.

National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month helps shine a light on this often misunderstood and taboo topic. Let’s keep the conversation going for the other eleven months of the year. As peers, let’s renew our commitment to offering support, speaking out and holding the hope for someone until they are able to hold it for themselves. As fellow human beings, let’s take inspiration from Emily Dickinson, and tap the eternal hope perched in all of us.

“Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops…at all.”

For information about Magellan events during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, suicide prevention downloadable materials and more free resources, visit our suicide prevention website.

[1] https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/

[2] https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-017-1317-z

[3] Magellan Peer Support Services Outcomes in Pennsylvania, 2016

This month, we are sharing thoughts and insights on the importance of peer support services in healthcare, as well as other systems where peer supporters can be integrated. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt across the U.S. and around the world and folks struggle with the fallout, we are seeing an increased need for mental health and substance use disorder services and supports.

COVID-19 mental health impacts  

For many, the virus has taken a terrible toll. Family and friends have been lost. Millions of jobs have been lost. Our collective and individual sense of what is “normal” has been lost.

In a May 14, 2020 news release, the United Nations called for a substantial investment in mental health services to avoid a “massive increase in mental health conditions in the coming months.”

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this:

“It is now crystal clear that mental health needs must be treated as a core element of our response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a collective responsibility of governments and civil society, with the support of the whole United Nations System. A failure to take people’s emotional well-being seriously will lead to long-term social and economic costs to society.”

Focus on prevention

Public health experts, media and a growing number of policy makers are urgently emphasizing the critical necessity to take a preventive approach to this crisis, urging people to wear masks in public, practice physical distancing and increase testing. If we don’t embrace prevention, we will not beat this disease.

It’s not just infectious diseases like COVID-19 that require a robust, full court press preventive public health response. We need to get serious about prevention in mental health. A 2015 research article, Preventing Mental Illness: Closing the Evidence-Practice Gap Through Workforce and Service Planning stated:

Despite advances in treatment, there is little evidence that prevalence rates of mental illness are falling. While the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancers are common in policy dialogue and service delivery, the prevention of mental illness remains a neglected area.

Note the reference to “evidence-practice gap” in the article title. What does that mean? Here’s a great, succinct description from a 2014 article published in PLOS Medicine.

Health research promises societal benefit by making better health possible. However, there has always been a gap between research findings (what is known) and health care practice (what is done), described as the “evidence-practice” or “know-do” gap.

Peer support contributions

So, what are the implications to the peer support workforce I mentioned at the beginning of this article? How does prevention apply to this discussion? Why is there still an “evidence-practice” gap with regard to peer support?

There are 200+ articles published in the literature on peer support. Peer support has long been recognized as an evidence-based practice. In fact, there are several peer-developed, peer-delivered models grounded firmly in the principles of recovery and resiliency, choice and self-determination, and an understanding of a holistic approach to wellness. And these models have been shown to have a positive impact on traditional outcomes, predominantly measured in behavioral health, including significant reductions in hospital admissions, fewer re-admissions and decreased spending on high-cost, restrictive settings like psychiatric inpatient. While peer support is not a clinical service, it has been shown to impact clinical outcomes. Beyond this, folks receiving peer support services express very high degrees of satisfaction with those services and report improved quality of life.

This is an excerpt from the Magellan Healthcare eMpowered for Wellness July newsletter. To read the full article, go here.

We are excited to re-introduce our Thought Leaders series with Dr. Karen L. Fortuna, one of the world’s leading researchers and activists focused on digital peer support and the role of technology in recovery. As a result of COVID-19, technology-enabled peer support has become the norm and vitally necessary to ensure continuity of care. We hope you enjoy our exclusive, virtual e-interview with Dr. Fortuna as she shares her unique insights about the transformation of peer support.

Dr. Fortuna holds a doctorate in social welfare and a master’s degree in social work. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. Her primary research interest is service delivery strategies for older adults with serious mental illnesses and chronic health conditions. Dr. Fortuna is using community-engaged research methods to develop and implement peer-supported mobile health (mHealth) intervention. Dr. Fortuna was awarded a NIMH K01 award (K01MH117496), a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain and Behavior Foundation, the Alvin R. Tarlov & John E. Ware Jr. Award in Patient Reported Outcomes, and the Gerontological Society of America’s AGESW Faculty Achievement Award. Dr. Fortuna served on the International Standards Advisory Committee to develop the first-ever international accreditation standards for behavioral healthcare for older adults. Dr. Fortuna also serves on the American Psychiatric Association expert advisory panel on smartphone apps.

Dr. Fortuna led the development of the first digital peer support curriculum to equip older adult peer supporters with the skills and knowledge to offer digital peer support. The Digital Peer Support Certification was co-produced with Dartmouth scientists and peer support specialists and has been found to be an effective knowledge translation training that has shown to increase peer support specialists’ capacity to use digital peer support in practice (http://digitalpeersupport.org/).

And now, let’s hear from Dr. Fortuna!

Magellan: Dr. Fortuna, thank you so much for your time. Can you share what brought you to this field?

Dr. Fortuna: Thank you! My background is in social work. I went into this field because my dad had multiple sclerosis and he was very sick as I was growing up. People treated him like he was different just because he was in a wheelchair. I would say he was marginalized—but, to me, he was always just my dad—not different—not helpless—one of the most amazing and capable people I have ever known in my life. So here I am. Working with peer support specialists that may have at one point in their life been viewed as “different” or “helpless” and I work with peer support specialists to accomplish things they maybe never thought possible.

Magellan: You are recognized as one of the world’s leading researchers into the area of digitally delivered peer support. What drove your interest in pursuing this topic?

Dr. Fortuna: My initial exposure to mental health services began in the first year of a Masters in Social Work internship at the University of Pennsylvania. During this internship, I provided group-based self-management training to adults with a lived experience of a mental health condition and chronic health conditions. During this experience, I was impressed by the severity of disabilities that continued to be present for adults with a lived experience of a mental health condition despite participation in evidence-based programs. I subsequently pursued a volunteer opportunity with Dr. Mark Salzer to learn about efforts to improve the effectiveness of interventions for people with a lived experience of a mental health condition; in addition to being introduced to community-based research and peer support specialists.

As a result, I have developed an understanding of the history of the peer recovery movement, peer perspectives and theories of service delivery—and I saw recovery for the first time. I was sold! Recovery is real! This experience laid the foundation for my research career focused on digital peer support as an innovative service delivery strategy. Digital peer support is defined as live or automated peer support services delivered through technology mediums.

Magellan: One of the hallmarks of your work has been using a co-design approach, working collaboratively with persons with lived experience to inform your projects. Would you share with our readers what co-design is and why you choose this approach?

Dr. Fortuna: Co-design is a partnership in research that promotes shared decision making in all aspects of the research process. Our model, the Peer and Academic Partnership, supports collaboration, engagement, shared decision-making, principles of reciprocal relationships, co-learning, partnership, trust, transparency and honesty. We use this co-design approach because peer support specialists bring new insights and energy to our research that our team believes will lead to the next discovery in the social sciences. Plus, it’s fun! I have an amazing group across the globe that I work with!

This is an excerpt from the Magellan Healthcare eMpowered for Wellness June newsletter. To read the full article, go here.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and social distancing becomes the new normal, we have seen rapid expansion of digitally delivered peer and family support. In this post, we explore emerging issues and considerations for using technology to reach others.

The use of technology to offer peer support is a practice that has been around for quite a while. Think about telephonic peer support via peer-operated warmlines. A from December 4, 2019 said this about warmlines:

“Unlike a hotline for those in immediate crisis, warmlines provide early intervention with emotional support that can prevent a crisis.”

Magellan has long been a supporter of peer-operated warmlines and has helped launch warmlines in multiple states.

You can find more information about warmline availability by state at www.warmline.org or by visiting the National Empowerment Center’s directory of peer-run warmlines.

As opportunities for in-person, face-to-face support have decreased, many peer-run organizations, along with traditional mental health providers, have shifted delivery of services to telehealth platforms. Yet, during this unprecedented COVID-19 public health crisis, we see increased demand for support from folks living with anxiety and depression. As more families are impacted by the pandemic, access to peer support is more critical than ever.

Peers have been quick to step up with a national grassroots-driven expansion of support via video conferencing platforms like Zoom. With this rapid expansion, however, we see wide variability in practices. Skills learned by providing in-person peer support do not necessarily translate onto a digital delivery platform. Individuals who are used to seeing a peer supporter in person may have a different experience when it’s offered through technology. In some cases, apps that purport to offer peer support are actually “peer-bots,” with real-time interactions being driven by algorithms and predictive analytics.

Fortunately, solutions to address the nuances of digital peer support have been developed. One of the most beneficial is training in digital peer support. Magellan partnered with Dr. Karen Fortuna to provide specialized training to our team members who provide peer and family support. Many other organizations and agencies have completed this training as well. It’s an important and necessary step to take as we navigate this new normal.

If you want to learn more about the state of practice relevant to digitally delivered peer support, check out this article from the April 2020 Journal of Medical Internet Research by Dr. Fortuna, Digital Peer Support Mental Health Interventions for People With a Lived Experience of a Serious Mental Illness: Systematic Review.

As we learn more about what works and what could be improved with peer support services via telehealth, we are paving new ground. What we do over the coming weeks and months will set the trajectory for digitally delivered peer support.  Let’s make sure we get to where we want to go safely, respectfully and responsibly.

This is an excerpt from the full eMpowered for Wellness May newsletter. To read the full article, go here.

Anyone who has gone through a traumatic event can develop symptoms of stress disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Although the COVID-19 pandemic in general would not meet the criteria for formally causing a stress disorder, many of the same issues can result from such a widespread and overwhelming event.

The pandemic could be viewed as a long-term stress event.  It has become life-changing for the whole world.  As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, people may experience increased anxiety and fear triggered by the pandemic and constant news. In addition, the pandemic can be traumatizing for others: healthcare workers, people who have lost friends and loved ones, and people whose lives have drastically changed.

What are stress-related disorders?

Stress-related disorders can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening. These symptoms can change your behavior and how you live your life.

How can reaction to the COVID pandemic be similar to a stress disorder?

When you struggle with a stress disorder, it can be hard to anticipate when anxiety or depressive symptoms may flare up. Although it may appear that symptoms come out of nowhere, in most cases they are cued by factors called triggers. Internal triggers are the feelings, thoughts, memories, emotions, and bodily sensations that you feel or experience. External triggers are the people, places, and situations that can bring back memories of the traumatic event.  In the current environment this could be caused by news reports, social media or discussion with friends or family.

The first thing to realize is that many fears are unwarranted; anxiety may arise when you are in a completely safe environment. When you begin to despair or your fears consumer you, try to remember that your worries and fears may be extreme because of previous experiences and not current facts. Once you’ve realized what may trigger these fears and anxiety, you can begin to try to deal with them.

How to cope with stress-related symptoms amid COVID-19

• Cultivate ways to be calmer. It’s understandable to feel anxious and worried about what may happen. While circumstances may be stressful and beyond your control, you can try to offset them with positive, calming activities. Practice slow, steady breathing and muscle relaxation, as well as any other actions that are calming for you (yoga, exercise, music, keeping the mind occupied).
• Understand what is within your control. Accept circumstances that cannot be changed and focus on what you can do. Evaluate your risk of contracting the virus, practice social distancing and follow clinical guidance on other practices. If you are in quarantine or isolation, do things that can support your mental health.¹ Focusing on what you can control and do can help you deal with the unknown.
• Remain hopeful. Keep a long-term perspective. Look for opportunities to practice being more patient or kind with yourself, or to see the situation as an opportunity to learn or build strengths. Celebrate successes, find things to be grateful about, and take satisfaction in completing tasks, even small ones. Remember that this will not last forever.
• Lean on your network. Make the most of technology and stay in touch with colleagues, friends and family via phone calls, texts, social media and video conferencing. Consider joining a free support group online to stay connected.² If you have a therapist, try to continue your treatment by phone or online.
• Focus on the potential positives. Try and focus on the things that can be viewed positively such as spending more time with family and a experiencing a potential to grow. Many times, going through a stressful time like this can lead to post-traumatic growth. This growth can be seen as though the stressful event was a trial or challenge that you conquered, something you learned from and became more resilient through. Sometimes stress can stimulate personal growth and improved overall coping.

For more information and tips, www.MagellanHealthcare.com/COVID-19.

While the pandemic may be causing you and your loved one feelings of anxiety and apprehension, now is a good time to look for reasons to be happy. Practice these tips to nurture yourself, improve your mood and help others.

1. Be kind. Call your friends and neighbors. Maintain social distancing, but smile to all the grocery workers who are keeping the shelves stocked. Ask an elderly neighbor if they need anything. An act of kindness boosts serotonin, a natural antidepressant in your brain, in both you and others.

2. Be thankful. Don’t rush through your daily interactions on autopilot. Slow down and notice when someone is kind to you, even in the smallest way, and show them your appreciation. When you practice thankfulness, you become more positive; that helps others feel good too.

3. Deepen your connections: Share your feelings about this experience with those closest to you. Encourage each other to make the best of this moment in time, and come up with a game plan to support each other moving forward.

4. Move your body. Exercise is vital to maintaining physical and mental health. Get your heart pumping by taking a walk in your neighborhood, going on a hike in nature or using an app for a guided training or yoga session. If you do go outside for a walk, maintain social distancing.

5. Write down your thoughts. Keeping a journal is a powerful way to get perspective. Clarifying your thoughts and feelings on paper helps you get to know yourself better and release the stresses of daily life.

6. Meditate. All you need to do is sit quietly for a few minutes, breathe deeply and let your mind relax. Meditation alleviates anxiety and helps you get in touch with your inner self, helping you face the world in a centered and focused way. Find free guided meditation sessions online.

7. Determine what is really bothering you. Vague worries are harder to manage because they are all jumbled together. Try to get clear on what you are specifically concerned about. Finding the root of the worry helps you figure out what to do about it.

8. Play games. Engaging in a game with others online, or even by yourself on your phone, helps you take your mind off other things. Give yourself permission to have some fun.

9. Dine Well. Have fun with food. Make your favorite recipes. Set the table with your finest dishes. Cook a meal with others. If you live alone, share pictures with friends for fun.

10. Remind yourself that this will pass. Try and come to terms with what you can’t control, and focus on what you can do to move through this time in a positive way. Draw on skills you have used during other difficult times, and remember how those times eventually passed by.

For more information and tips, visit MagellanHealthcare.com/COVID-19.

The stress of COVID-19 can present many challenges to those who are in recovery. In particular, social distancing is limiting people’s ability to get support from friends, family, and support groups.

Connection to others in recovery is a big part of the solution for many in recovery. Meetings make people feel supported and understood in ways nothing or no one else can. With much of the world under orders to quarantine or shelter in place, people in recovery can struggle to maintain a connection to their support groups. The good news is many recovery groups are scheduling virtual meetings, and that number is increasing each day.

Below are links to information about virtual 12-step and non-12-step meetings. These meetings take place in a variety of ways: over the phone, in online community posting forums, in social media groups, and through video.

Also, if you have a sponsor, peer specialist, or other special relationship, maintain that connection through text, email, phone, and FaceTime, or Skype.

12-Step Programs 

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA; aa.org): For regularly scheduled virtual meetings, visit aa-intergroup.org and click on Online Meetings.

• Narcotics Anonymous (NA; na.org): For regularly scheduled virtual meetings, visit www.na.org/meetingsearch. In the NA Meeting Search box on the right, select “Phone” or “Web” in the Country field drop-down list.

• Al-Anon (for families and friends of alcoholics; al-anon.org): For regularly scheduled virtual meetings, visit al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/electronic-meetings.

• Nar-Anon (for families and friends of addicts; nar-anon.org): For regularly scheduled virtual meetings, visit www.naranon.com/forum.

Other Programs

Some in recovery prefer non-12 step programs. Listed below are a few organizations who provide virtual support.

• SMART Recovery (for people with addictive problems; smartrecovery.org): To find online forums and meetings, visit www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/smart-recovery-online.

• LifeRing (for people addicted to alcohol or drugs; lifering.org): To find online video meetings via Zoom, visit www.lifering.org/online-meetings.

• Women for Sobriety (for women facing issues of alcohol or drug addiction; org): For information on the online community, visit wfsonline.org.

For more information and tips, visit MagellanHealthcare.com/COVID-19.