COVID-19 / Coronavirus Resources

October 2021 Update - Public Health Emergency Extended Until January 16, 2022.

APA Coronavirus Resources

To provide support in the response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), APA is collecting authoritative and timely resources in this information hub.

To share links to these resources, right click on the section navigation link or document, and click "Copy Link" or "Copy Link Address" (depending on your browser). The link can then be pasted into an email or social media.

If you are a patient or family member or friend in need of immediate assistance:

Disaster Distress Helpline (SAMHSA)
Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Link)
Call 800-273-8255 or Chat with Lifeline
Physician Support Line (Link)
Call 1-888-409-0141
Crisis Textline (Link)
Text TALK to 741741
Veterans Crisis Line (VA)
Call 800-273-8255 or text 838255

Jump to the following sections:

[Resources for Psychiatrists]
[Vaccines]
[Psychiatric Practice Guidance]
[CDC Information]
[COVID-19 & Mental Health]
[New Telehealth Rules]
[Webinars]
[APA's Practice Management Helpline]

[Resources for Families]

[Resources for Hospitalists and Primary Care]

[Resources for Health Care and Community Leaders]

Resources for Psychiatrists

With COVID-19 evolving rapidly across the world, APA's Committee on Psychiatric Dimensions of Disasters and the APA's Council on International Psychiatry compiled the following list of resources for psychiatrists. The resources cover not only the physical impact of the coronavirus, but on its potential mental health and psychosocial issues and responses. The resources also include a section on telepsychiatry, to prepare for the possibility of isolation and/or quarantine.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Guidance Document: The Role of Psychiatrists in the Equitable Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine (APA)
COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies in Public Psychiatry (Psychiatric Services, Feb 2021)
Vaccination Conversations: Influencing Critical Health Behaviors in COVID-19 (Psychiatric News, Jan 2021)
Fauci Hails Early COVID-19 Vaccine Results With 'Cautious Optimism' (Psychiatric News, Nov 2020)

Members are encouraged to contact their local public health agency for guidance on the vaccine "rollout" plans. Vaccine distribution guidance is available from the following government entities and organizations:

District Branches are also vetting and disseminating state-level guidance, such as the following:

Medical Association of the State of Alabama's COVID-19 Resources for Physicians which includes a "Vaccine Provider Toolkit" download. (Alabama)
Arizona Medical Association's COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Arizona)
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's page "Vaccine for Coloradans" (Colorado)
Louisiana Department of Health's COVID-19 Chain Pharmacy Vaccine Locations (Louisiana)
Maryland Deparment of Health's Hub for Local and State Health Deparment Websites (Maryland)
Mississippi State Department of Health's Vaccination Against COVID-19 page (Mississippi)
New Jersey Department of Health's Vaccine Phase 1A Fact Sheet (PDF) (New Jersey)
Wisconsin Psychiatric Association's WPA Member Meet-Up on COVID Vaccines & the Rollout in Wisconsin (Wisconsin)

COVID-19 Psychiatric Practice Guidance

[UPDATED 09/22/21] APA is tracking guidance released by the Department of Health and Human Services and at the state level related to COVID-19 to assist psychiatrists with providing mental health and substance use services.

View recent changes and guidance impact telehealth, substance use disorders and treatment services, and inpatient psychiatric settings.

Learn More Here

APA's Practice Management HelpLine

If you are an APA member, APA's Practice Management HelpLine is ready to assist you with your practice management needs. Help is available on how to manage the day-to-day operations of your practice in the midst of this pandemic, including telehealth, coding, documentation, reimbursement, contracting with managed care companies, Medicare, Medicaid, and more.

Learn More Here

COVID-19 & Mental Health

APA Resources

Other Resources

SAMHSA Letter to Treatment Providers on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (SAMHSA)
Taking Care of Patients During the Coronavirus Outbreak: A Guide for Psychiatrists (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, CSTS)
Helping Patients Manage the Psychological Effects of Quarantine and Isolation (CSTS)
How Healthcare Personnel Can Take Care of Themselves (CSTS)
Supporting the Mental Health of Patients During COVID-19: A Guide for Healthcare Personnel (CSTS)
Care for Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 (JAMA Insights: Clinical Update, March 11, 2020)
Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA)
Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (JAMA Network Open)
Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During the COVID-19 Outbreak (World Health Organization)
Disaster Psychiatry and Behavioral Health: From War and Terrorism to Earthquakes... and Coronavirus -Finding Structure in Chaos (Boston Veterans Affairs Grand Rounds)

Webinars

APA is producing webinars to provide up-to-date information as the situation evolves.

Advancing the Use of Telehealth Through Education and Advocacy

Many psychiatrists have quickly transitioned to using telehealth and found it beneficial for certain patients. As states lift stay-at-home orders, and data shows COVID-19 continue to spread in some areas, the use of telehealth remains an important tool for patients to access mental health and substance use disorder treatment while keeping patients, clinicians, families, and communities safe through physical distancing. This APA webinar will focus on how to refine the use of telehealth to better serve your patients and highlight advocacy efforts at the federal and state levels to continue telehealth flexibilities.

Access Recording

APA Spring Highlights Meeting 2020

Recordings and slide downloads from this live, virtual event are now available. Sessions include physician leadership, telepsychiatry, and healthcare worker and organizational sustainment during COVID-19.

Access Recordings

Serious Mental Illness and COVID-19: Tailoring ACT Teams, Group Homes, and Supportive Housing

This free townhall presentation, from a panel of SMI experts, answers questions about arising best practices being implemented by Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, and supporting those in supportive housing or group homes.

Access Recording

How to Address COVID 19 Across Inpatient, Residential and other Non-Ambulatory Care Settings

In this free webinar from APA and the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH), hear from experts about how to manage different types of services, key messages to give to your team leaders, unique challenges for people with SMI, how to handle group therapy, and more.

Access Recording

Telepsychiatry in the Era of COVID-19

This free webinar from SMI Adviser (APA & SAMHSA) offers learners an overview of how to use telemental health and video visits in the changing landscape surrounding the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Access Recording

Managing the Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

This free webinar from APA will outline how psychiatrists can support patients, communicate with family members and children, and be a resource to other providers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Access Recording

CDC Information

New Telehealth Rules

Rules regarding the practice of telepsychiatry have changed quickly. CMS released guidance on March 17, 2020, that now allows patients to be seen via live videoconferencing in their homes, without having to travel to a qualifying "originating site" for Medicare telehealth encounters, regardless of geographic location.

To learn more about whether telepsychiatry may be a helpful option for your practice, and to access APA's collection of resources on telepsychiatry, use the links below:

APA Information on New Telehealth Rules (New guidance from CMS, updated 5/1)
APA Telepsychiatry Toolkit
Best Practices in Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health Guide (APA and American Telemedicine Association)
2020 APA Telehealth Survey
APA recently conducted a member survey on how the use of telehealth has changed due to the COVID-19 public health crisis. This document contains a summary of the survey's results as well as pertinent policy implications.
2020 APA Telehealth Survey: Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Telehealth Practices during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Resources for Families

Employee Mental Health & Well-being During & Beyond COVID-19 (APA Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health)
Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks (APA)
Working Remotely During COVID-19: Your Mental Health and Well-being (APA Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health, CWMH)
Taking Care of Family Well-Being (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, NCTSN)
Supporting Homebound Children During COVID-19 (CSTS)
Supporting Your Family During Quarantine or Isolation: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation during an Infectious Disease Outbreak (SAMHSA)
AACAP's COVID-19 Resource Library (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
Be Aware of Scams
Consumers and healthcare facilities have been targeted by scammers pretending to be representatives of CDC or WHO and asking for personal information, donations, etc.
Finding the Right Words to Talk with Children and Teens about Coronavirus (CSTS)
Discussing Coronavirus with your Children (CSTS)
Tips for Coping when Quarantined with COVID-19 Family Members (CSTS)
When Family Members are Hospitalized due to COVID-19 (CSTS)
COVID Coach App
For coping, self-care, and goal directed efforts for a general audience during the COVID-19 pandemic, developed by The National Center for PTSD (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

Resources for Hospitalists and Primary Care

Resources for Health Care and Community Leaders

Employee Mental Health & Well-being During & Beyond COVID-19 (APA Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health)
Grief Leadership During COVIC-19 (CSTS)
Coronavirus and Mental Health: Taking Care of Ourselves During Infectious Disease Outbreaks (APA)
Working Remotely During COVID-19: Your Mental Health and Well-being (APA Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health)
Helping People Manage Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak (National Center for PTSD)
How Public Health Leaders Can Support Communities Dealing with Quarantine (CSTS)
Health Risk and Crisis Communication to Enhance Community Wellness (CSTS)
Addressing Stigma Associated with COVID-19 (World Health Organization)

These resources intended to assist psychiatrists and the public in responding to COVID-19. APA will continue to update this page with resources developed by both APA and other organizations. Links to resources shared by other organizations are not intended to imply an endorsement of the organization.

COVID-19 Research

American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), Psychiatric Services, and Psych News COVID-19 Research

APA Publishing is making coronavirus-related content immediately available to the public following acceptance. This central hub lists, by date, all COVID-19-related articles published from each publication.

View Articles

Resident-Fellow Resource

Transitioning to Residency During COVID-19

There have been significant changes to medical student education during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including transition to remote learning and cancelation of clerkships and electives. View APA's guidance on navigating the transition to residency during this time.

APA Membership Benefit

Project N95

To help members who are having trouble acquiring PPE, APA is collaborating with Project N95, a nonprofit organization working to get critical equipment to frontline workers. APA members can purchase vetted PPE through the Project N95 marketplace.

Learn More