COVID-19 Q&A: Doug Warn, LCSW-R, Director of Clinical Practice

What are some of the mental health challenges that Project Renewal staff members are facing during COVID-19?

Project Renewal has staff on the front lines in every program area. From doctors, to case workers, to maintenance, they are dedicated heroes who are showing up to work every day despite personal risk. We are committed to providing mental health support for our team to help them get through this crisis.

Unsurprisingly, some of the common issues people are reporting include anxious and depressive thoughts. I provide resources to help redirect that energy into self-nourishing activities. 

What are you doing to help team members cope?

Our case conference meetings are educational seminars focused on helping staff on the front lines address what the clients are dealing with, and how to best manage their interactions with clients during this time of increased stress. 

Secondly, in our self-care seminars, we are helping staff identify signs that they may be burning out, and provide tools for coping. The guidance is provided within a crisis and trauma framework, and we help them bring themselves to calm. This is an overwhelming time, and the group seminars validate and normalize the experiences of our team members, reminding them that they are not alone. 

How often are you hosting the seminars?

Since the middle of March, I have been hosting the self-care seminars twice a week, with about 25 to 30 people participating in each session. When people are acutely stressed, it’s harder to process information, so I encourage folks to attend more than once if they can. We also schedule the seminars at varying times to fit a range of schedules. For example, by hosting some sessions at the end of the week, our staff gain tools they can use over the weekend as they recuperate and recover. 

What are some examples of the tools you’re providing?

We provide exercises to help participants de-stress. For example, one intervention is called “5-4-3-2-1.” You take a deep breath and exhale to a count to six, which slows the heart rate down. Then you look around the room and name five things you see, followed by another breath and release. Then you name four things you are touching, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste. The exercise encourages people to engage each of their five senses in higher levels of attentiveness and concentration in order to redirect attention away from anxious thoughts.  

While our support for our staff doesn’t change the fact that these are exceptionally stressful times, we hope it will make the work feel more manageable and mitigate some of the long-term mental health implications of this traumatic time. 

About Douglas J. Warn, Director of Clinical Practice
Douglas J. Warn, LCSW-R, is Project Renewal's Director of Clinical Practice and has been with the agency since 2002. He has previously served as the agency's Director of Outpatient Addiction Services. In addition to his work with Project Renewal, he has been an adjunct lecturer at the Columbia School of Social Work. He is also a psychotherapist in private practice, specializing in the treatment of addictions and complex trauma.