Today’s Frontline Hero is Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, which is going the extra mile to communicate effectively with their community during the coronavirus pandemic. LFS of Nebraska created an 800 phone number for their clients and those seeking telehealth mental health services during this challenging time They increased telehealth therapy capacity by more than a hundredfold in less than 24 hours to ensure everyone could continue their therapy, and to manage additional mental health needs as community anxiety over the pandemic grows.
As part of the organization’s efforts to promote expanded telehealth services, LFS of Nebraska sent 7,000 letters to clients in language used in the home. The Global Language Solutions team assembled interpreters who went to work translating LFS of Nebraska’s communications, along with CDC-issued materials and information on how to stay safe during the pandemic. They also published videos in 14 languages on their YouTube channel to disseminate information about the coronavirus to typically marginalized communities. Some of the languages include Somali, Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda, Kurdish, Spanish, Burmese, Nepali, and more. Notably, the Ohio Department of Health discovered these helpful videos and is using them for their own community outreach efforts.
LFS of Nebraska also is developing virtual town hall information sessions in a variety of languages, launching a podcast, and will soon release a short video series to help people stay informed and stay connected.
Thank you, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, for your unflagging commitment to serving your community, and for making the extra effort to communicate this crucial health information to so many people!
