CHEYENNE, Wyo. - The school shootings in Connecticut have sparked a national dialogue about the availability of mental health care. Even though Wyoming is a frontier state, there is a mental health clinic in every county.

Peak Wellness Center executive director Dr. David Birney says holiday stress is another reason awareness about mental health concerns has been heightened.

"There are lots of people who know they need help, but aren't quite sure where to go. We just want for people to know that there is help available to them across the State of Wyoming."

The clinics charge on a sliding-fee scale and accept most insurance and Medicaid, so services are affordable for everyone. A listing of clinics, as well as substance abuse treatment centers in each county, is at WyomingWellness.com.

Dr. Birney says Wyomingites may not be aware that mental health care is so close at hand, thanks to the efforts of state officials.

"So, what they've done - through a lot of work of the Wyoming State Legislature - is make sure that behavioral health care is available within close proximity to everyone's home."

Dr. Birney says that, looking ahead, there are some budget concerns as cuts are looming for mental health centers over the next two years, unless new revenues are found.





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The pandemic shows no signs of ending soon. And with working from home and distance learning still a reality for many households, health experts say constant use of electronic devices creates some concerns - including the effects of blue light.

Scott Edmonds, the Chief Eye Care Officer at United Healthcare, said blue light is a low-wavelength, high-energy light that can boost a person's alertness. But long-term, too much exposure can potentially damage cells in the retina and disrupt sleep patterns.

He said it's just about everywhere in a home connected to technology.

"The big exposure that we see today," said Edmonds, "especially with the pandemic, is coming of out your phone, coming out of your computer, and coming out of the newer televisions that emit a lot of that blue light."

Experts say the best ways to reduce blue-light impact is keep screens at least 30 inches away from your eyes. Another recommendation is the "20-20-20" rule - after 20 minutes of computer work, a person should take 20 seconds to look at something that's 20 feet away.

The use of blue-light-filtering technology also is encouraged.

People studying the dangers of too much screen time say there are other side effects to worry about, including mental health and not enough physical activity.

Associate Professor of Communications at the University of Minnesota-Duluth Aaron Boyson said, while it's hard to get a handle on something so ubiquitous, limiting access is a way families can work together to combat technology overload.

"If that means that at the dinner table you don't have phones, don't have phones," said Boyson. "If that means not having screens in a kid's room, take them out."

He said even though constant use of technology has been normalized these days, parents shouldn't feel constrained from trying to limit access and cut down on use. He added a body of research indicates even before the pandemic, adults and kids were logging too much screen time.

It is time for a new calendar and, for many people, it also means resolutions to change their lifestyles.

It can be a big task for people who have committed to new year's resolutions to stick to them.

Darren Bushee, mental-health clinician and field care coordinator for Optum Idaho, has some tips. He said changing your lifestyle is difficult, and it is best to consider your mindset going into the shift.

"You can think of it not just as a resolution but as an evolution," Bushee suggested. "Lifestyle changes are a process that take time like an evolution and requires support. So once you're ready to make that change, the difficult part is committing and following through."

Bushee pointed out people can get caught up in goals they have not attained in the past, but advised people not to be too down on themselves.

Bushee noted one of the keys to attaining a goal is to break it down into manageable steps.

"Your plan is, in essence, a map that will guide you on this journey," Bushee explained. "One of the things you want to do is be specific. You want to exercise more? Detail the time of day. Write everything down and ask yourself if you're confident these activities and goals are realistic for you."

Bushee also recommended people attempt to change one behavior at a time.

"Unhealthy behaviors develop over a course of time," Bushee observed. "Replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires more time obviously, right? So many people run into problems when they try to change too much too fast."

He added people should make the resolutions public. He urged telling a friend, asking for support from them, and accepting help from them when they offer.

West Virginia families expect increased financial stress and anxiety in the new year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment remains at a record high, and inflation has surpassed levels not seen since 1990.

Stormy Johnson, student support specialist for Preston County schools and a single mother of three, said her mental health has suffered from struggling to pay for basic expenses, but she tries to shield her kids from feelings of anxiety.

"Because I've got to be well to take care of my kids," Johnson explained. "As a single mother, they fully depend on me."

The state is working to boost the behavioral health workforce. Earlier this month, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources' Bureaus for Behavioral Health and Public Health announced a new financial-assistance initiative to help repay student loans for recent graduates who are master's-level social workers, counselors, psychologists and psychiatric nurse practitioners.

Johnson pointed out her children's mental health has been affected by household financial stress, heightened by uncertainty around federal Child Tax Credit payments that helped put food on the table. Most West Virginia families received their last tax credit payment Dec. 15, and so far it remains unclear whether the increased payments will restart in the new year.

"It ultimately is a super-big stressor, because what's going to happen now is, I'm going to go back to not eating so that my kids can eat because I don't qualify for SNAP," Johnson pointed out. "I'm dependent on this to feed myself."

The U.S. surgeon general recently warned worsening mental health among kids and youths are "real and widespread."

A report from the Surgeon General's Office called for communities to take steps to reduce stigma, bias and negative stereotypes around mental illness, and for ensuring children are screened regularly for mental-health challenges and risk factors at their school or primary-care doctor's office.