Launched During COVID-19, Behavioral Health Bridge Offers Online Mental Health Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic is amplifying the need for people to monitor their mental health and have access to reliable and useful resources. That’s why Sanford Health and the University of North Dakota partnered to launch the initial phase of Behavioral Health Bridge, a website offering a wide variety of mental health resources.

The website currently features several sections with videos, illustrations and important information on:

• Behavioral Health and the Impact of COVID-19
• Coping with Stress, Worry, Grief and Loss
• Self-Care and Caring for Loved Ones
• Support and Treatment
• Well-being and Behavioral Health for Health Care Providers

Each section discusses warning signs and how to support yourself or others who may be displaying signs and symptoms.

A catalyst for creating the website was that states like North Dakota and South Dakota comprise many rural towns, presenting challenges for the availability of care.

“We did this during the pandemic, but this resource has been needed for North Dakota for a long time,” said Stephen Wonderlich, M.D., vice president of research at Sanford Health in Grand Forks, N.D. “We’re in a large state with rural environments, and we have to get these resources to people.” He added, “This technology might be a great way to do this, in order to connect with people who might be far away from providers.”