Many experts, both national and local, are warning the public of the potential of a mental health and human service crisis in the coming months. It is due to the illness, the economic decline, and the isolation that is part of the “shelter in place”. Below are links to articles that were in the Washington Post and an article on the World Health Organization’s report that addresses these issues:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/mental-health-coronavirus/ 
    https://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=21877&z=58

Certainly, Westmoreland County is different than New York City, Seattle, and other hard hit places throughout the country and the world. However, local experts, such as Westmoreland County Public Safety Director Bud Mertz, have now redefined the pandemic in Westmoreland County to be more related to human services than physical health issues, at least for the time being.

To that end, we want to keep our eye on key indicators across our County. We have put together a spreadsheet/dashboard of what is happening here that reaches across many domains of human services.

Crisis Indicator Spreadsheet 
Human Services Key Indicator Acronyms 

We will update our information on a monthly basis and observe what is happening in Westmoreland County. You will have an opportunity to view what we find.

If you have any suggestions or observations, please feel free to contact Dirk Matson at [email protected]. Thank you!