Resources
This is a weird time in our world with a lot of firsts - having kids at home, working from home, being quarantined, dealing with extra stress and anxiety, worrying about money, keeping up with the news and government directives.... Fortunately, there are a lot of resources to help. Here are some of the best we've found.
Resources for Mental Health
This outbreak may cause stress, fear, and anxiety. That's completely normal, but you don't have to just accept it. Figuring out how to effectively cope with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.
- Telemedicine or phone-based counseling with local mental health professionals. Find a list of mental health professionals in Central Montana here, and reach out to see if they offer remote appointments. We know that the counselors at Counseling Associates do. Find more information here.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Guide to Manage Anxiety and Stress"
- Ten Percent Happier "Coronavirus Sanity Guide"
- "The 21 Best Meditation Podcasts to Listen to in 2020"
- Meditations from Calm
Reliable Information Sources
There is so much misinformation online. Avoid the bad science and fear tactics on social media, and tune out the political opportunists. Instead, check out these resources for reliable, scientific, localized, and timely information.
- Map of Montana COVID-19 Cases
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
- State of Montana Newsroom
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization
Free Educational Resources for Students (and their Parents) Stuck at Home
Just because school is out doesn't mean learning has to stop. Use this time together to get your kids excited about math, reading, art, or science! Help them practice skills in subjects difficult for them. There are many online resources to help reinforce and sustain your children's education from home.
- Parent Toolkit: A one-stop resource developed with parents in mind.
- Khan Academy: Free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.
- Scholastic Learn at Home: Free resources for school closures.
- HippoCampus: Explore over 7,000 free videos in 13 subject areas.
- National Geographic Kids: Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more.
- Mystery Science: Free, easy science for remote learning.
- Bedtime Math: Daily math problems for kids.
- Virtual Museum Tours: Tour 2,500 world-famous museums from the comfort of your own sofa.
- Virtual National Park Tours: 33 National Park tours you can take from the comfort of your home.
Plus, check out this resource from the Harvard Business Review:
Things to Keep You and Your Family Entertained
- Virtual museum tours
- Virtual national park tours
- Virtual storytimes from the Lewistown Public Library
- Free books from the New York Public Library
- Great things to do at home while quarantined
- Synchronized Netflix streaming
- Free course from Yale and Coursera on The Science of Well-Being
Government Resources
- Economic development district questions
- Indian affairs
- Montana’s agricultural needs
- Montana’s educational leaders
- Emergency small business loans and questions
- Small business concerns
- Social security questions
- Unemployment insurance
- Veteran affairs