FEBRUARY 24 • 2022 | 35

mental health resources, paired 
with decreased accessibility due 
to COVID-19, has contributed 
to a greater need for public 
awareness on understanding 
Michigan’s mental health care 
system — which may not be as 
complex as some people think.

CREATING SOLUTIONS 
FOR ACCESSIBILITY
“COVID-19, isolation and all of 
the things that came along with 
it have increased depression 
and anxiety across the board,
” 
Rinaldi explains. “But there’s 
layers on top of that.
”
Because of social distancing 
and other public health 

restrictions over the last two 
years, the ongoing pandemic 
has made it more difficult for 
mental health practitioners to 
see patients face-to-face. This 
has added strain to the mental 
health care system because 
community engagement and 
social interaction are key to 
many treatment models for 
mental illness.
“In our institution, our 
waiting lists have ballooned to 
many months to get treatment,
” 
explains Dr. Richard Dopp, a 
clinical associate 
professor in the 
Department of 
Psychiatry at 
University of 
Michigan. “Some 
clinics have even 
stopped adding 
names to waitlists.
”
Still, there are solutions — 
and many services have gone 
digital or hybrid for the time 
being to continue reaching 

populations in need. 
Rinaldi says the best way 
to seek out care is to simply 
call Oakland County’s mental 
health care hotline at 1-800-
231-1127 or Wayne County’s 
mental health care hotline at 
1-833-557-3224.
From there, callers can be 
directed to the proper resources 
to help them take the first 
step in securing mental health 
treatment.
Dopp adds that he hopes 

the Mind Matters webinar will 
help patients and their loved 
ones further understand more 
about issues such as treatment 
that is helping but not helping 
enough, the benefits of 
psychotherapy, the role of 
medications and some self-care 
strategies that people can do to 
improve their mood or the way 
they function. 
“It takes resilience and 
knowledge to get the care you 
need,
” he said. 

Dr. Richard 
Dopp

Mind Matters 
March 3 
7-8:30 p.m. 
Register at https://umich.
zoom.us/webinar/reg-
ister/WN_gFt2hUoBT-
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