The Church just sent the following email to ward and stake leaders:

As you strive to love and serve those around you, you or those you minister to, may experience heightened stress, anxiety, and uncertainty during difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic.

While offering quick solutions to complex challenges and emotions is often not helpful, truly seeking to understand is.

As you prayerfully serve, listen to, help, and minister to those who are struggling, the following resources may help:

• • Family Services Telesupport and Teletherapy: Where Family Services is available, it offers free urgent-care social and emotional telesupport (by phone or videoconferencing) at the request of mission presidents, stake presidents, bishops, or members of ward and stake councils. Contact Family Services or your welfare and self-reliance manager to schedule a call for members in need. In addition, Family Services offers teletherapy options in some areas.
  • How to Talk about Suicide: Review these suggestions from Elder Dale G. Renlund on how to talk to someone about suicide.
  • Crisis and Other Help Lines: If someone may be thinking about suicide, call one of these crisis help lines. For those experiencing other mental health challenges, other help lines are available. You can also first consult with Family Services professionals regarding how to best use these and other resources.
  • Ministering to Someone in Crisis: Review these step-by-step guides: How Can I Minister to Others during a Crisis? and Facing Challenges: A Self-Help Guide.
  • Returned Missionary Support: To help missionaries process recent events, review the document The Covid-19 Pandemic and Returned Missionaries.
  • Life Help Resources: This collection, by topic, contains helpful resources for some of life’s biggest challenges. You can find them in the Life Help section online and in the Gospel Library under “Life Help and Self-Reliance.”
  • Counseling Resources: For those times when you, as a leader, help members navigate sensitive situations, visit CounselingResources.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.