“We can’t fix this," says Leslie Hyde (ChIME 2015), about the pandemic. "We can create and hold a safe space for people to process their emotions. We must be comfortable with the messy uncertainty and the grief, the fear and anxiety that arise from it.”
Since January, Leslie has been involved in developing the city of Yarmouth’s COVID-19 task force. The task force is identifying ways to address current and emerging community needs in a number of ways, including establishing a call center, recruiting neighborhood captains, and developing a food insecurity program, among other things.
Leslie has taken the lead on establishing the emotional first aid team. She is recruiting the social workers, therapists, chaplains and pastors who will respond to individuals who contact the call center in a high level of emotional distress. As Leslie develops the logistics and protocols for this team, she is asking important questions; What is ethical? What are our legal responsibilities? What are our moral responsibilities? What are our standards and benchmarks for assessment and referral?
At the same time, she is considering the most important skills and assets that responders will bring to the emotional first aid team. She explains, “this is a time for presence and the healing power of listening. It requires us to stay in the moment, with the unknowing and to allow people to admit their concerns. It requires us to stay with them, to stay present.” Leslie notes that ChIME was excellent preparation for the work that is needed now -- and it will only become more necessary as this crisis unfolds in the coming weeks.
