The newly launched mental health nonprofit links US-based healthcare personnel in need of emotional support with licensed mental health practitioners
BOSTON, June 16, 2020 – The Emotional PPE Project, a non-profit initiative created to connect healthcare workers with no cost therapy, recently launched to address the growing mental health needs of healthcare workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Over the last few months, some healthcare workers have described being in a war zone – with long hours, high exposure rates, and unfathomable sadness,” said Ariel Brown, PhD, founder of The Emotional PPE Project. “Even before the pandemic hit, healthcare professionals had disproportionately high rates of mental distress, addiction, and suicide. With the added stress of the current crisis and mounting evidence that COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon, we need to break down as many barriers as possible to offer healthcare workers access to professional support.”
After a successful pilot at Massachusetts General Hospital, The Emotional PPE Project has expanded nationwide, mobilizing over 300 volunteer therapists in 40 states. The nonprofit’s directory includes psychologists, psychiatrists, and clinical social workers, with specialties ranging from marriage counseling to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The project serves any individual affected by the COVID-19 crisis who is working in a healthcare-related field, including physicians, nurses, EMTs, assisted living managers, among others.
“Many healthcare professionals are uninsured or underinsured and are concerned there may be personal and professional consequences if they use employee-based services like employee assistance programs (EAPs),” says Brown. “Because the Emotional PPE Project is independent from any other institution, and all services are free, key barriers that may stop people from getting support have been removed.”
About The Emotional PPE Project
Healthcare workers are often deterred from accessing mental health care due to barriers such as lack of time, stigma, and concern about professional repercussions. The Emotional PPE Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization with the mission to reduce these barriers through research, advocacy, and the promotion of our directory of volunteer therapists available to provide no cost, no insurance, confidential therapy to any US healthcare worker in need.
Visit emotionalPPE.org:
- Healthcare workers, get professional support by contacting any of the volunteer mental healthpractitioners in The Emotional PPE Project directory
- Licensed therapists, sign up to volunteer your time
- Anyone, support this charitable organization by making a tax-deductible donation
Media Inquiries should be addressed to media@emotionalPPE.org.