Free virtual counseling and other resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic are still available to Iowans through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The COVID Recovery Iowa grant that was set to expire at the end of May has now been extended through December. Since the beginning of the pandemic the program has provided Iowans with information on housing, utilities and food along with mental health resources. Iowa Department of Human Services Emergency Mental Health Specialist Karen Hyatt says there are over 100 staff members who work for this program, “And their training is varied and we do that on purpose because we want our staff to represent the people living in Iowa. So we have people who maybe they’re more at the peer level and they talk one to one, just like you would if you were talking to a neighbor across the fence. And then we do have licensed therapists who are on staff who handle maybe a call that has a more extensive or maybe needing a little bit different conversation. So we try to match people the best that we can when we get a request for assistance.”

The Iowa Department of Human Services administers COVID Recovery Iowa and five providers, including Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, operate it across the state. An additional $154,704 was provided to ISU Extension and Outreach to maintain its outreach, educational and virtual crisis counseling services. Services are available free of charge in all 99 counties they can be reached by contacting the Iowa Concern Hotline at 515-477-1985 or the Iowa Warm Line at 844-775-9276.