W2W: Help Us Help Frontline Clinicians

As the world approaches the second year of the Coronavirus pandemic, Witness to Witness is as busy as ever in providing services to empower frontline clinicians in their work with migrant and mobile populations. The programmatic offerings have included peer support groups for clinicians, made available through the American Rescue Plan grant, including specialized learning collaboratives designed to be responsive for managers experiencing moral injury due to their work at the frontline. A sense of urgency has become visible in our recent efforts. Combined with the observable impacts of other taxing events—such as the intensifying political divide, the impact of climate change, and the turmoil at the border, to name just a few—the state of mental health and psychological wellbeing continues to decline.

In a recent email blast, Witness to Witness founder Dr. Kaethe Weingarten observed, “We are noticing how much more exhausted attendees are, even compared to last Spring.” Dr. Weingarten also commented that this strain on mental health systems is palpable; at least 204 countries have reported an uptick in both anxiety and depression as a direct result of the stress facing the global population. Accordingly, Witness to Witness has noted an increase among individuals seeking services, including among colleagues, peers, and staffers at Migrant Clinicians Network. In recognition of this shift, Witness to Witness has hosted a series of listening circles and support calls. The impact of Witness to Witness continues to rapidly expand in and out of public health spaces.

Additionally, Dr. Weingarten estimates that more than 1,000 individuals have been reached through recent efforts, including webinars. Witness to Witness has addressed a variety of topics, and the upcoming calendar will conclude the year with subjects such as developing self-compassion as part of a self-care regiment, and instruction for providers on how to cope with the pressure of being overexposed to trauma. These offerings are incredibly timely, as surging numbers of frontline clinicians are reporting that in contrast to being heralded as heroes during the beginning of the pandemic, they are facing escalating issues of hostility, anger, and contempt towards them and their profession. This combination of aggression and diminished support underscores the utter necessity of what Witness to Witness strives to deliver.

For the next quarter, the work of Witness to Witness will have Dr. Weingarten continuing her prolific writing across multiple channels, including circulating monthly email blasts to the official Witness to Witness mailing list, as well as writing entries for Migrant Clinicians Network’s blog, Clinician-to-Clinician: A Forum for Health Justice. Her educational efforts will also include authoring pieces for Streamline, MCN’s quarterly clinical publication that delivers critical information and resources to a constituency of more than 6,000 frontline clinicians.