Utah’s COVID-19 Helpline Busier Than Ever

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Nearly a year into the pandemic and it appears the number of people needing help from the Utah Strong Recovery Project, a program that offers free counseling for pandemic-related concerns, is going up.

The Utah Strong Recovery Project is a hotline anyone can call and work out the problems brought on by the pandemic.

It’s been a lot to handle with kids home from school, social distancing, the economic impact and many other troubles.

The Utah Strong Recovery Project Provides Virtual Access to Crisis Services https://t.co/jEhbaMxZk2 pic.twitter.com/0sXbV2W3e8

— Utah.gov (@UtahGov) August 13, 2020

“I think what’s surprising is just how long this has been going. We’re at the year mark now and I think people are tired and scared,” said Rebecca Minnick, Utah Strong Recovery Project manager. “We are amazingly resilient. We have lots of skills. We just … this is not a situation we’ve ever experienced before.”

These days are pressure-packed, she explained. “People are really scared, I mean, ‘What happens if a can’t go to work or I lose my job over this?’” Minnick said. “And so again, it’s a lot of reassurance getting them connected to resources because we’re all in this together.”

Minnick said she is certain there are more people who could use the help than are asking.

“We can’t get through this unless we do it together,” she said. “And I think this is something that none of us in our lifetime have ever experienced like this and so that reassurance that we’re experiencing is a common reaction to an uncommon situation.”

The reality is we’re all going to have to bear through this at least a bit longer as we wait for the rollout of vaccines to, hopefully, get us closer to normal.

The Utah Strong Recovery Project helpline is open seven days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. via call, text or email.