Colleagues, Further to my message last week, I wanted to write to you today to thank you – first, for the wonderful response we have had from so many of you in support of our efforts to share COVID-19 resources across the globe; and second, for the many personal notes I have received asking after the health and wellbeing of the WPA team. Like you, this is a learning experience for us, and like you we are doing our best to ensure we support our members and trusted partners in the most helpful ways we can. Last week, I asked you to continue sharing with us the tools and resources you have been creating to support your own communities. Our COVID-19 Resource Library grows every day as a result. This week, I wanted make special note of our desire to include resources that have been created in languages other than English. We welcome submissions in any of the languages of our members and partners – whether you send them in the form of links to your own websites or websites created in your country; publications created by you, trusted government or other organisations in your own country; or informative documents developed for various constituents within your communities. In short, we will be pleased to receive any materials you have found helpful and credible in your own work to support mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, we are working with colleagues to develop teaching materials and the capacity to conduct online training according to need in the following areas: e-mental health; mental health services (hospitals, community services, homeless and other vulnerable populations); promoting mental health; and supporting psychiatrists, mental health professionals and health workers. I hope this will be a helpful way for those among our member societies and sections with skills and experience to help others gain capacity as quickly as possible. Please keep in contact with your needs and your interest to assist. I know that many of you are receiving a greater volume of email than ever as we seek to replace face-to-face communications with other means. While I am reluctant to add to that volume, I am also aware of the need to be in contact with you more regularly than before. As the situation evolves and as we understand more about the implications of the pandemic for mental health, it is important to communicate about the ways in which WPA and our global community are working to address them. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you would prefer not to receive these COVID-19 related messages and we will remove you from the distribution list. All of my updates will be posted on the WPA website where you will be able to access them as well as the resources we develop. Please keep in touch. All best wishes Helen Prof Helen Herrman AO WPA President
