'This May is genuinely like no other May before'

The month of May is known for its warmer days, flowers in bloom, and students anxious to burst through their school's exit doors one final time to the freedom of summer break.
Yet, this May is entirely different for all of us, whether it was the change in plans for Mother's Day, a birthday party celebrated over Zoom, or working from home while the kids scream during your corporate business meeting call. This May is genuinely like no other May before.
Covid-19 brought us the terms “social distancing" and "flatten the curve,” which we find ubiquitously at every storefront, restaurant, and any public place in this nation. The objective is to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to lessen the impact on our hospitals and health care workers. Yet our efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 brought severe turbulence and stress to our farming communities, local business owners, and countless families throughout our nation.
People know to go to a hospital when sick with a virus, but they equally need to know issues like stress, depression, and feelings of hopelessness are reasons to seek help, just like a virus.
May is also known for Mental Health Awareness Month, and this message is critical during this challenging season.  At Southwestern Mental Health Center, we provide a variety of mental health services to the southwest corner of Minnesota. We strive to promote mental health and total wellbeing for our community members, ensuring respect and dignity during all aspects of care.
We are still open and serving new and existing clients across our region.  Our service delivery has changed to a telemedicine model for the foreseeable future. Telemedicine allows clients to receive professional mental health services from the comfort of their homes by using the Zoom teleconferencing platform on their phone, tablet, or computer.
Southwestern Mental Health Center is committed to providing access to mental health services for everyone.  Please call 507-283-9511 if you or a loved one would like to learn more about the many services offered by Southwestern Mental Health Center.
Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or you can call our 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-642-1525.