I Need Help

For general inquiries, NOSM University faculty are encouraged to call the faculty toll-free line at 1-877-678-7358. Should you reach the voicemail, kindly leave a message with your name and preferred contact information, and your call will be returned within 48 hours.

Managing Stress During COVID-19

COVID-19 can be stressful, the effects can be both physical and emotional.

Things you can do to reduce stress:

• Take breaks from listening to, watching or reading about COVID-19 frequently, including social media.
• Focus on the facts of COVID-19 and understand the risk to yourself and those you care about.
• Separate facts from rumours. Gather information from reliable sources.
• If stress continues to hamper your daily activities, talk to a doctor, or someone you can trust.
• Ontario COVID-19 Mental Health Network: Free mental health services for Ontario COVID19 healthcare providers
• CEPD Presentation Archives

NOSM University Health & Wellness Resources

• NOSM University’s Health Sciences Library also has a Health & Wellness Guide with information about wellness, emotional well being, healthy living, being active at home, and much more.
• The Being Active at Home page lists resources to remain active at home during this period of social distancing. This guide includes resources for yoga, stretching, cardio and strength training.

Mental Health Resources

During the outbreak, many mental health professionals will be working to offer psychological support and advice to front-line medical staff, as well as to other clients, and to the public. We have put together this page to collate links to resources which might assist your clinical practice during the current global health crisis. If you are aware of any resources that you believe would be helpful to your colleagues please get in touch: support@psychologytools.com

Ontario Hospital Association

Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) has put together a number of easily accessible mental health resources from various leading sources (international, national and provincial), such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S, as well as a number of resources from Ontario hospitals. Click here to access these great resources.

• 25 Minute Webinar – Talking to your child about COVID-19
• 25 Minute Webinar – Emotional Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• 10 Minute Webinar – General webinar on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Canadian Mental Health Association, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the World Health Organization (WHO)

• The Canadian Medical Association has recently launched the Wellness Connection. This recent initiative offers a new round of virtual group sessions (including peer support, compassion rounds and psychological first aid) for residents, physicians, and students available for the first two weeks of August. If you are interested in attending a session, simply click on the session title to register. For more information about upcoming sessions, contact: physicianhealth@cma.ca. Please note that the calendar’s dates/times of sessions are subject to change hence viewers are encouraged to visit the Wellness Connection to confirm any upcoming sessions.

The Canadian Mental Health Association, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the World Health Organization (WHO) also provide excellent resources to assist people through these times:

• Canadian Mental Health Association – COVID-19 Mental Health and Well Being
• CDC Stress and Coping
• Mental Health Commission of Canada – Wellness During COVID-19
• WHO – Coping with stress during COVID-19 fact sheet
• WHO – Helping children cope with stress during outbreak fact sheet

OMA Physician Health Program

The OMA’s Physician Health Program invites you to drop in virtually between noon and 1:00 p.m. each weekday to support one another during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sessions will be led by Dr. Kasra Khorasani, a psychiatrist at Mount Sinai Health Systems and St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, who is an expert in group therapy.

Stay for one minute or as long as you can, and go online as many times as you like. Everyone is welcome. The chats are meant to be a safe space to share how you are managing.

• 30-Minute Physician Mindfulness Brochure

Ontario COVID-19 Mental Health Network

An emerging network of Ontario-based mental health professionals is dedicated to supporting frontline COVID-19 workers during the evolving crisis.

• Learn more.
• Request support.

Pause4Providers
www.pause4providers.com

30-Minute Mindfulness Drop-in Sessions.
The current pandemic is causing unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety in our workplace. Drop in to learn short mindfulness practices to help find calm in the midst of challenge. Relax, recharge, and learn how to incorporate moments of mindfulness in your day. Optional discussion to follow.
Open to all healthcare workers, staff and professionals at no cost.

Drop in to the weekly virtual sessions via Zoom:

Link: web.zoom.us/j/302330041
Meeting ID: 302 330 041

Every Tuesday 8:30 pm EST
Host: Dr. Diane Meschino or Dr. Jennifer Hirsch

Every Thursday 8:30pm EST
Host: Dr. Mary Elliott or Dr. Orit Zamir

For more program details please visit: www.pause4providers.com

Physical Health Resources

ParticipACTION provides several resources for you to discover how physical activity can improve your life. Go online to find information on how everything gets better when you get active.

Fitbit is offering a 90 day free trial of their Fitbit Premium. Premium offers access to hundreds of workouts categorized by time, activity and fitness level so that you can easily find what’s right for you. You can also access a variety of guided programs, advanced insights and sleep and mindfulness tools to help you eat better and get more activity.

Down Dog is offering healthcare workers free access to all of their apps – Down Dog, Yoga for st Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout completely free through to July 1st.

Ekhart Yoga is offering 12 free yoga and meditation classes designed to help with stress and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 virus.

Peloton offers an extensive, ever-growing library of live and on-demand studio classes taught by world-class instructors. They are providing a free 90-day trial.

Gardening

Sudbury Shared Harvest and the Sudbury Community Garden Network is encouraging people of all ages and abilities to “cultivate their neighbourhood” by growing food any way you can – in their own yard, balcony or even a window box. The Community Garden Network has a YouTube channel with videos by local gardeners and we’re hoping to add more in the near future.

For technical assistance, you can access the NOSM IT HelpDesk from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. (excluding statutory holidays.)

To open a service ticket, please email helpdesk@nosm.ca.

You may also call the Help Desk in Sudbury at 705-662-7120 or in Thunder Bay at 807-766-7500.

Toll-Free in Canada: 1-800-461-877. Then press 1, then 7

Ontario Medical Association Physician Health Program (PHP): 1-800-851-6606

The Ontario Medical Association Physician Health Program (PHP) provides a range of direct services to physicians, residents and medical students, as well as supportive services to family members. This confidential support line is available during regular business hours anywhere in Ontario. A clinical coordinator will answer your call and direct you to appropriate services in your community.

The PHP provides confidential support for individuals who are struggling with substance use and mental health concerns, as well as with other behaviours that have a personal and professional impact. The PHP also offers support and education to physician leaders, hospitals, and other worksites; as well as to anyone else who is concerned about a loved one or colleague. Additional information is available online at php.oma.org.

OMA Physician Health Program
For confidential support, call 1-800-851-6606
Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
php@oma.org
php.oma.org/what-we-do/

Mental health crisis?

• Call 911 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000
• Go to the nearest emergency department
• Find resources at ConnexOntario
• Canadian Association for Mental Health for Health Care Workers: camh.ca/covid19gethelp

Options for getting help in Thunder Bay:

• Call Crisis Response:
• Thunder Bay: 807-346-8282
• Toll-Free: 1-888-269-3100

Options for getting help in Sudbury:

• Call Crisis Intervention Services:
• Sudbury: 705-675-4760
• Toll-Free: 1-877841-1101

Canadian Medical Association Wellness Support Line

The CMA Wellness Support Line (www.cma.ca) will link Ontario Physicians to the OMA Physician health program.
For Ontario, the Wellness Support Line is 1-800-851-6606 which offers counseling and access to mental health support to physicians, medical learners and their immediate families.

It is a 24/7 bilingual (French and English) service, delivered via Morneau Shepell and is designed to complement existing resources available through physician health programs in provinces and territories across Canada

For further information on their wellness support line, please visit the CMA Support line.

The CMA PhysicianWellness Hub (the Hub) is one of the key programs the CMA has created to drive change in the culture of medicine and to promote health and wellness in the medical profession for the benefit of practitioners, the health system and all Canadians. The Hub aims to improve physician wellness individually as well as at the system level and to promote a collaborative approach to physical health and well-being.

The Hub is a national collection of nearly 300 physician health and wellness resources, spanning 22 topics. Resources include original CMA content and curated information from other trusted sources. Information is targeted to physicians, residents, and medical students seeking guidance and wellness self-help, and CMA membership is not required to access it. The Hub also has material for those leading wellness initiatives and programs. The CMA will continue to add tools and resources to the Hub, as needs arise and as new materials become available.

The Hub also incorporates two other key CMA health and wellness initiatives: The Wellness Support Line and Wellness Connection and aims to support other high-quality health and wellness initiatives developed by the provincial and territorial physician health programs. The CMA worked collaboratively with the provincial and territorial medical associations and provincial health programs, other medical stakeholders and physicians to leverage their input and enhance resources that are already in place for physicians and medical learners.

The Hub is a tremendous source of all kinds of resources, such as articles, videos, podcasts, etc. It is easily searchable. A quick search of the hub’s content visit their website CMA Hub

Community-Based Crisis Services

Bracebridge
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
1-705-789-2311 Ext. 2772 or 3194
mahc.ca

Dryden
Dryden Regional Health Centre
1-807-223-8201 Ext. 2268

Fort Frances
Riverside Health Care Facilities
1-807-274-3261 Ext. 4521 or 1-807-274-4826

Hearst
Hôpital Notre-Dame Hospital
1-705-372-2934

Huntsville
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
1-705-789-2311 Ext. 2772 or 3194
mahc.ca

Kapuskasing
Sensenbrenner Hospital
1-705 337-4013

Kenora
Lake of the Woods District Hospital
1-807-468-9861 Ext. 2348

Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Health Center
1-705-368-2300 Ext. 2509
mhc.on.ca/

Midland
Georgian Bay General Hospital
1-705-526-1300 Ext. 5455

North Bay
North Bay Regional Health Center
1-705-474-8600 Ext. 3033 or 3034

Parry Sound
Site Liaison Clinician (SLC)
Dr. David Clarke
1-705-746-9382

Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Area Hospital
1-705-759-3434 Ext. 4317

Sioux Lookout
Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre
1-807-737-3030 Ext. 6585 or 6586

Sudbury
Health Sciences North
1-866-469-0822 Ext. 1010 
hsnsudbury.ca/portalen/

Temiskaming Shores
Temiskaming Hospital
1-705-647-8121 Ext. 2721

Timmins
Timmins and District Hospital
1-705-267-2131 Ext. 2225 and Ext. 2174

Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
tbrhsc.net/