Unemployment Benefits and COVID-19

Unemployment Benefits and COVID-19

We know that a large number of persons have lost employment, are at risk of losing employment, have had their wages reduced, and are very limited in their ability to seek employment as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. We wanted to provide you with some information on accessing Unemployment Insurance benefits from the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC). 

What is it?

Unemployment Insurance provides temporary financial assistance to eligible persons with a minimum benefit amount of $10 each week and a maximum benefit amount of $247 each week. Payments may be received as early as 7-10 business days after completed applications are received by LCW. There is not a COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance fund. The benefit is pulled from the standard Unemployment Insurance. 

Who is eligible?

Anyone who loses employment, has had their pay or work hours reduced, or has been told not to report to work is strongly encouraged to file. Eligibility requires that you have worked during the first four of the last five quarters (currently January 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020.) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own and available to return to work.  You may still apply if you earned wages in another state. Again, if you do not meet all of these criteria, you are still strongly encouraged to file for the benefits during this epidemic.

How to apply?

Apply at louisianaworks.net or call 1-866-783-5567. The call center hours are 8am – 7pm, 7 days a week. In order to apply you must provide your name; social security number; address; alien registration number (if applicable) and the name, address, and phone number of the agency(ies) of your previous 18 months of employment. You should initiate the claim as soon as possible even if you do not have all of the previous employers' information. 

After you are approved, you must call or login every week to complete a certification in order to receive payment. As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, the requirement that you complete at least 3 work searches every week is waived. 

Additional important information.

• When asked if you received vacation pay or sick time, answer "yes" if you are owed funds for that time, not if the company offered it.  

• You will be asked if you would like 10% of federal taxes withheld from the payment. If you decline, you will receive a 1099-G and the 10% will be deducted from your 2020 tax claim. 

• If you previously have had a fraudulent over-payment in Unemployment Insurance, you will not be eligible to receive benefits until you pay back the over-payment. If you previously have had an over-payment that was determined to not be fraudulent, you must call or login each week to certify the benefits and the benefits will be applied to the over-payment. You will not receive any payments until the over-payment is satisfied. 

SNAP Benefits During COVID-19

sNAP bENEFITS dURING cOVID-19

Food insecurity is one of the biggest concerns facing families while trying to stay safe during the COVID-19 epidemic. Here is some information on accessing The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help your family have a sufficient amount of food. 

What is it?

SNAP provides monthly benefits to assist households in buying the food that they need. The maximum benefit amount to a household of one is $194 each month. The maximum monthly allotment increases as the household size increases. This is not Disaster SNAP (DSNAP). All applicants for SNAP benefits must meet strict eligibility guidelines. Due to the large volume of applications, it may take more than 30 days to process applications. If approved, you will be eligible from the application date. 

Who is eligible?

Louisiana residents who are US citizens and/or certain aliens with verifiable USCIS documentation are eligible to apply. Applicants must also pass resource and gross and net income limit test. There are some exemptions to those resources and income limits so all persons in need of assistance obtaining food are encouraged to apply.

How to apply?

You can apply online or download and print the application from www.dcfs.la.gov/getSNAP. You can mail the completed application to DCFS Economic Stability, P.O. Box 260031, Baton Rouge, LA 70826, fax it to 225-663-3164, or drop the application off at the nearest local office. Call 1-888-LAHELP-U or email LAHelpU.dcfs@la.gov to have a SNAP application sent to your mailing address. You may also text GETSNAP to 898-211. You can speed up your application by providing any of the below applicable information with your application. 

• A separation notice from your employer or contact information for your employer

• Proof of separation (last day work or date of last paycheck)

• Proof of income (i.e. pay stub)

• Proof of identity (.i.e. copy of Driver's License)

• Proof of residency (i.e. copy of Louisiana's driver's license, utility bill, rental receipt)

Caseworkers are not conducting formal interviews due to increased applications as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. They may contact you with questions if they require additional information. A decision will not be made on your application until you have provided all required information. 

Other Resources for Food

If you are in need of more immediate assistance obtaining food, St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall (220 St. Vincent de Paul Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70802) is passing out meals at the walk-up window between 11:30am and 1:00pm. You may also call 211 to get more information on food banks in your area. 

OHCC Case Management

Take 5 to Thrive

Take 5 tO THRIVE

Working under the COVID-19 Stay at Home Order may feel overwhelming. It is vital that you check-in with yourself and assess your own needs.

Take 5 to Thrive.

1. Take care of yourself. When we become overwhelmed and stressed, it’s easy to forget about ourselves. We cannot function our best when we aren’t prioritizing our basic needs. Ensure that your most basic needs are met. Eat healthy meals. Make sleep a priority. Take your medications. Take restroom breaks. Have a plan for your children, pets, and family to receive the care that they need while you are away. Let your supervisor know if you feel overwhelmed and need a break. Keep your mind and body in good condition by taking care of yourself the same way you would take care of your favorite person 

2. Take YOUR time. When anxious and in a crisis, we may feel rushed. Mistakes are easily made when we operate in haste. Slow down. When your feelings get intense, stop what you’re doing and take a few deep breaths. Even if only for a minute. Feel your feet on the ground. Take in your surroundings using all five senses. What do you see? Hear? Smell? Taste? Feel? Take note that most times, there is no imminent physical threat. Your thoughts make you feel anxious. This grounding technique reminds your body that you are safe and helps reduce feelings of anxiety. Deep breathing exercises and meditation can also help bring things back into focus for you. There are apps and YouTube videos (as short as 60 seconds) that can help guide you.

3. Take back your routines. Ensuring the safety of our family and the Stay at Home order has made our normal routines a distant memory. Routines help us feel in control and keep us anchored. Therefore, it is important that we try to keep some of our normal routines in place. Continue with your same grooming habits in the morning: brush your teeth and have a cup of tea. Workout at home instead of the gym. Facetime or have a zoom meeting with the friend or family member that you normally visit on weekends. Even if it’s for a shorter time, at a different time, or done in a different way, maintain some sense of normalcy.

4. Take time for things that you enjoy. In times like these, it is easy to overindulge in the news. Set boundaries! Limit talk about COVID-19. Say that you would prefer to talk about something else and limit time on social media. Get the information that you need to keep you and your family safe and spend your time doing things that you enjoy. Make time for your favorite television show. Read a book. Play a card game or board game. Keep up with your gardening. This is also a time to explore new hobbies. Write some poetry or the first chapter of your book. Try Tik Tok.

5. Take advantage of available support. In the helping profession, we tend to forget that we can and should reach out for help when we need it as well. When we are feeling stressed, it can be easy to overindulge in vices: gambling, tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, and food. Don’t be a victim of the Quarantine 15 (extra pounds). This will ultimately hurt you more than it temporarily helps. Contact your trusted friends, family, and loved ones to discuss how you feel. Inquire if they are feeling the same way. Why or why not? Have self-compassion and forgive yourself. Remember that this is hard, and you are doing the best that you can in uncharted territory. Counseling and support are also available virtually. There is also the National Suicide Prevention Hotline number, 800-273-8255, where trained counselors are available 24/7. All calls are confidential.

   OHCC Behavioral Health Team

Tips for Talking to Kids about COVID-19

Tips for talking to Kids about covid-19

Tips to Talking to Kids about COVID-19

Your child’s routines have been drastically changed. There are a lot of unknowns such as when they will return to school or daycare, when they will be able to see their friends again, and when their parents will return to work. They may see people walking around grocery stores wearing surgical masks and gloves. This can be very scary for us all, especially a child that is still learning the world around them. It’s important for us to take time to talk to our children about what is going on around them and how they feel about it. Here are a few things to keep in mind during these discussions.

Guard the information your child receives and the way they receive it. If you are anxious, take time to calm down before having this discussion with your child. Children not only hear what you say, but they pick up on cues of how you feel based on how you say things as well. Be mindful of the amount of COVID-19 related news that you play in the home or car. Your child hears what you hear, even if it seems like they are not paying attention. Also, try to avoid having strong reactions to news received about COVID-19 in the presence of your child. You do not want your child to perceive COVID-19 as a big scary unbeatable monster. In addition to the sad stories, there are stories of hope and survival. Make sure that the information your child receives is balanced-not just scary.

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Listen. Comfort. Support. Find out what information your child already has. Try to get them to explain what they already know. Try to get them to ask you questions. Also, try to get them to talk about their feelings. Help them put their emotions into words. Listen to what they say. Correct misinformation, but do not cut them off or dismiss how they feel. Provide them with comfort. Provide them with support. This will help them feel comfortable speaking with you and coming to you with more questions in the future.

Age appropriate discussions. Don’t volunteer too much information to your child. Too much information may be overwhelming and confusing to them. Speak to your child using terms and analogies for things that they understand. Avoid the use of language that may lead to stigma or blame. Make sure that you are honest and accurate in the information that you provide.

Empower them to combat COVID-19. Educate your child on steps they can take to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Model these behaviors as well. Hand washing with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds. Coughing or sneezing into a tissue or their elbow. Keeping their hands out of their mouth, nose, and eyes. Keeping their distance from people who are sick. Social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others. Keeping things clean at home including commonly touched surfaces (light switches, alarms, cell phones, remote controls, etc.).

Help them keep parts of their routines. Same as adults, routines help children feel anchored, in control, and safe. It is important that we try to keep as many of their normal routines in place. Morning, grooming, and bedtime habits such as brushing their teeth, changing into pj’s before bed, and reading their bedtime story should be maintained. They should also continue to do some schoolwork and be allowed time for outside play. Allow them to Facetime or have a zoom meeting with their friends and close family members under your supervision. Help them maintain some sense of normalcy.

With school closures, cancellations of extracurricular, time off from work, and mandates to work from home, many of us have more time with our children than we have had in a while. We should enjoy this time and use it to strengthen our time together. Have movie nights, play board games, play outside in the yard, and make sure that you keep the lines of communication open.

OHCC Behavioral Health Team

Keeping Calm through COVID-19

Keeping Calm Through Covid-19

Have you been feeling uneasy and nervous? Has it been constant or excessive? You may be experiencing symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is the mind and body’s response to perceived danger. It is natural to experience symptoms of anxiety during times of stress. For example, if a bear is in front of you, you will have racing thoughts, sweaty palms, a rapid heartbeat, and a fight/flight/or freeze reaction. However, if you are constantly experiencing the same symptoms when you are watching the news or settling in for bed, this may be a sign of anxiety.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) may not be a vicious beast in front of you, but it might feel that way. So, what can you do to combat the symptoms of anxiety that this uncertainty brings?

1.     Identify your feelings. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and express how you feel. Share your feelings with a friend or loved one. Write a journal entry or anonymous blog post.

2.     Seek support. Ask those around you if they are feeling the same way you are. If so, why? If not, why not?

3.     Practice relaxation skills. One of the best ways to manage anxiety is by engaging in “Mindfulness” activities. Mindfulness is the practice of focusing your awareness on the present moment and accepting your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Practice yoga, meditation, or engage in spirituality. You can also do deep breathing exercises including box breathing which consists of 4 seconds of breathing in, hold for 4 seconds, 4 seconds breathing out, hold for 4 seconds, REPEAT. (YouTube has many great videos to demonstrate all of these relaxation skills for FREE!)

4.     Keep busy. Play a board game with a friend or child. Clean that junk drawer or closet you have been putting off for days (or years). Binge watch a new Netflix series or catch up on movies on Amazon Prime. Read a book.

5.     Limit time on social media and/or news outlets. We all want answers, and everyone seems to have them nowadays, but it is not healthy to become obsessive. Get updates from trusted media outlets that are important to your immediate workplace, neighborhood, and family. It is easy to get swept up in mass panic, but that will not make this easier for you or your loved ones. Use boundaries! Limit talk and conversations about COVID-19. You can say that you would prefer to talk about something else. Also, limit time on social media.  

6.     Forgive yourself. This is a strange, new, scary time in the world. Have self-compassion. Forgive yourself for having human reactions and take care of yourself as you would your favorite person. Remember that this is hard, and you are doing the best you can in uncharted territory. 

You CAN wash your hands regularly with clean running water and soap, use hand sanitizer when water and soap are not available, practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow when you sneeze or cough, limit/avoid travel, and stay home if you’re sick (even if it’s mild). 

You CANNOT control what is happening with others. Instead of focusing on fear or things that you cannot control, do what you can and spend your time in a positive manner. Protect your body and your mind. They need each other.

There is also a Keeping Calm through COVID hotline number, 1-866-310-7977, where trained counselors are available 24/7. All calls are confidential.

OHCC Behavioral Health Team