myHR Archives
myHR: May 13, 2020
Heather Charboneau Brings Calm to Students Through Behavioral Health Services
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, change has been the only constant. Social distancing has become the norm. Face masks have become the must-have accessory to wear when in public. Trips to the grocery store have become calculated excursions, often timed in an attempt to achieve the greatest safety possible.
Penn faculty, staff, and students have changed where and how they learn, live, and interact with one another. As a result, many have experienced increased anxiety and stress, putting their emotional well-being in jeopardy. Thanks to Behavioral Health Consultant Heather Charboneau, one of Penn's essential staff members, some calm is being restored for students during this challenging time.
Charboneau works in the Student Health Service (SHS) clinic, a full-service primary care center on campus that provides health care designed to meet student needs. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) created the behavioral health consultant position in January and embedded it in SHS as a way to better assess student stressors and identify appropriate supports. The timing couldn’t be better.
Since the state issued stay-at-home orders in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus, Charboneau says attention to behavioral health issues has become even more important than in our pre-COVID-19 days.
“I think mental health care sometimes can be easily overlooked as an essential need and yet it’s one of the biggest needs people have right now,” she says.
How is Charboneau making a difference?
When a student visits SHS to receive physical care, if that student mentions any behavioral health concerns to the provider, a SHS doctor or nurse practitioner refers the student to Charboneau.
“I’m getting a lot more referrals about anxiety, isolation, and the mental health effects people are experiencing in relation to having to self-isolate and practice social distancing,” she says.
Charboneau then schedules a 15- to 30-minute meeting with the student – now done either virtually or via phone to adhere to social distancing guidelines. She discusses their behavioral health concerns, conducts an assessment, and provides recommendations for supports.
“When I conduct an assessment, I ask the students what’s going on and if the stressors were present before COVID-19. Then I talk about the resources they might need, and that can be anything from psychiatry or therapy to getting them connected to CAPS, community resources or online resources,” she explains.
Through psychoeducation, Charboneau helps students identify triggers for their anxiety and practice grounding techniques to diffuse worry. She teaches coping skills and often recommends mindfulness practices. She says there’s no specific number of students that she works with daily. She simply takes the referrals as they come, encouraging each to keep a routine as much as possible, establish new home schedules that provide a
Her work also involves following up with students to gauge their progress, and with SHS and CAPS providers to ensure that everyone is on the same page with regards to care.
Charboneau started at Penn in 2016 at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) as a social worker on the General Medicine Team. She worked in this role for two years before becoming the Clinical Social Worker for the General Medicine High Utilizer Program.
“I am very passionate about integrated care and behavioral health consulting. When an opportunity arose at SHS for a behavioral health professional, I saw it as a chance to help enrich the lives of our students by implementing a new integrated care model to address the mental health stressors that present within the course of routine physical health care,” she says.
Charboneau is one of nearly 70 SHS employees. Since the University is operating on limited campus operations, she currently works on a rotating schedule with her colleagues, working from her Point Breeze home every other week. When she is in the office, she’s joined by about 10 coworkers.
"Everybody has been really dedicated to being available, supportive, and adaptable to the changes in our workflow and the way we work. We’re also trying to make sure that we’re not only just doing the work, but also keeping our spirits high and our stress levels down,” she says.
For Charboneau that means spending time outside on her deck, gardening, and completing lots of jigsaw puzzles when she’s not working.
“We’re all dealing universally with the psychological effects of what it means to shift our lives because of this virus, and how to cope,” she says.
“I feel proud being able to serve students and address mental health because it’s vitally important work that needs to be done now and even after we get to a ‘new normal.’”
Keeping Your Money at Work
In these uncertain times, many people wonder what they should focus on as they prepare for the future, including a financially secure retirement. Penn provides you with a variety of resources to keep you informed and help you navigate this unusual period.
On May 27 from 12-1 p.m. ET, Penn’s African-American Resource Center will host a TIAA live webinar titled Money at Work: Foundations of Investing. All Penn faculty and staff are welcome to attend. At this interactive webinar, TIAA will discuss managing risk versus reward, understanding the role of investing and managing investment risks, augmenting programs to help accelerate savings, products and tools for managing a portfolio, and more. There will be Q&A time, and a recording of the webinar will be available for 30 days after the live event. Register here.
Bonus Action Points
Faculty and staff who attend the live webinar on May 27 are eligible for 10 Be in the Know Bonus Action points for this Financial Wellness Event. (You must register for and log in to the live session on May 27 to receive points for this webinar.) You can earn points for up to four events (or 40 Bonus Action points) during this Be in the Know campaign year.
Additionally, TIAA and Vanguard are there for you with online resources, call centers, and individual retirement plan counseling. You can take advantage of these resources at:
TIAA
Coronavirus market conditions - Guiding you through turbulent times
Retirement Call Center – 877-736-6738
Counseling – www.tiaa.org/schedulenow
Vanguard
Coronavirus market conditions - Our insights on the coronavirus and market activity
Participant Services Call Center – 800-523-1188
Counseling – www.meetvanguard.com
Visit Penn’s Saving for Retirement webpages for more information about retirement planning benefits.
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
emotional well-being. Common concerns like stress management—as well as serious conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, and addiction—are further complicated by the COVID-19 situation. In these days of social distancing, health risks, and stay at home orders, many staff members are searching for tools and resources to create healthy routines, connect with and support others, increase resiliency, and build optimism.
In support of Mental Health Awareness Month, Penn’s wellness partners StayWell and the Penn Employee Assistance Program offer some resources to help reduce the stress and worry felt by many during this unprecedented time.
StayWell (https://penn.staywell.com/Home)
- 21-Day Meditation Experience or Daily Dash programs. Search under StayWell Bonus Actions.
- Get Healthier with a Mental Reset
- Can a Budget Make You Happier?
Health Advocate (www.healthadvocate.com)
Additional Resources to Consider
- Working Remotely During COVID-19, American Psychiatric Association/Center for Workplace Mental Health
- Coursera Course – Resilience Skills in a Time of Uncertainty – this free course is taught by Dr. Karen Reivich from the Positive Psychology Center
- May 2020 Happiness Calendar, Greater Good Science Center, Berkley
- Well-being Toolkit, Virgin Pulse
For more information about resources, courses, virtual events, and more available, visit the COVID-19 Well-being Resources webpage.
Help for You and Your Family
Penn's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides eligible faculty and staff and their families access to free, confidential, 24/7 counseling and referral services for personal and professional life issues from any location.
Call Health Advocate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-866-799-2329, email EAPinfo@healthadvocate.com, or visit www.hr.upenn.edu/EAP. EAP services are available by phone, email, webchat and video.
Penn’s medical plans include behavioral health coverage for you and your enrolled dependents. Telemedicine options are now available. Addiction treatment is also available as part of Penn’s medical coverage. Specific coverage depends on your medical plan. Visit the Behavioral Health Coverage page for links to your plan’s providers.
Healthy Meals: Rhubarb Oat Muffins
Most fruits and berries won't be in season for a while, but May is a great time to add old-fashioned rhubarb to baked goods, like these wholesome muffins. Rhubarb adds a nutritious flavor boost. You can also try mixing in your favorite frozen fruits.
Find the recipe here.
Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.
Did You Know: Open Enrollment Ends Friday, May 15
Open Enrollment ends this Friday. Don’t miss your chance to make changes to your medical, dental, vision, prescription, and life insurance benefits for the 2020-2021 plan year. Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment for details about this year’s Open Enrollment and benefits changes. Enroll or update your current elections in Workday at www.workday.upenn.edu. You can also enroll by phone by calling the Benefits Solution Center at 1-866-799-2329.