As Iowans continue grappling with the effects of the pandemic, many are taking advantage of free remote counseling made available through the state.
Teresa Zilk is a media specialist for the COVID Recovery grant. She says counselors can help Iowans build coping skills as coronavirus-related disruptions continue.
“There’s just a lot of anxiety about what’s gonna happen next,” Zilk says. “So many people have been impacted in terms of no longer having employment. Even farmers are having difficulties. You have parents who are home with children more than they were before.”
Zilk says they want to reach Iowans from all walks of life — those who lost their jobs, are now constantly home with their families, people with disabilities, and Iowans struggling with anxiety surrounding the uncertainty. “It’s requiring a different set of coping skills for everybody,” she says. “So we’re there to give them different types of coping skills and strategies to help reduce the sense of loss and stress that they’ve experienced.”
Spanish language services are available and counselors can also refer people to other services. Any Iowan can seek free confidential counseling at the website: CovidRecoveryIowa.org, or by calling 844-775-WARM.
