Resources to help you navigate the COVID-19 crisis.
What to do if you think you might have COVID-19.
Guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says:
If you are sick with COVID-19 or suspect you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, you should take steps to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community.
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice.
Follow the steps below:
- Stay home except to get medical care
- Separate yourself from other people and pets in your home, this is known as home isolation
- Call ahead before visiting your doctor
- If you are sick wear a cloth covering over your nose and mouth
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Clean your hands often
- Avoid sharing personal household items
- Clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday
- Monitor your symptoms
Click
here for more information on each step.
Downloadable guide:
Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick
Help With Essential Needs
For assistance and help with essential needs, see the SoCo Emergency
webpage for a list of resources.
211 Sonoma County
2-1-1 Sonoma County, a program of
United Way of the Wine Country, is the comprehensive information and referral service for Sonoma County. We connect Sonoma County callers, website-users and texters each year with information about health and human services available to them. Phone and text services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and in 150 languages through phone interpretation services. During times of disaster, 2-1-1 provides incident-specific information in coordination with local emergency services, including road closures and shelters both locally and nationwide.
Call: 211
Text: Your zip code to 898211
National Disaster Distress Helpline
If you are feeling emotional distress,
The Disaster Distress Helpline is a national hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling. The toll-free Helpline is confidential and multilingual and available for those who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of natural or man-made disasters. The Helpline is operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and complements the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other disaster response capacities.
Call: 1-800-985-5990
Text: TalkWithUs to 66746
Visit: http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/
Mental Health Services
For Mental Health & Wellness resources on how to cope during the coronoavirus outbreak, managing your emotional and mental health, coping with stress and anxiety, helping children cope, resources for family, parents, and children, and resources for mental/behavioral health organizations visit the SoCo Emergency
Mental Health & Wellness webpage.
NEED HELP RIGHT NOW OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES?
The SoCo Emergency
Mental Health & Wellness webpage provides the resources listed below.
Local Resources
- If this is an emergency, call 9-1-1 now.
- If you have an urgent need now to talk with someone for counseling or mental health support call:
- Sonoma County 24-Hour Crisis Stabilization Unit: (707) 576-8181
- North Bay Suicide Prevention Hotline of Sonoma County: 1 (855) 587-6373
- If you are on Medi-Cal or are uninsured, community health centers throughout Sonoma County are providing virtual counseling visits through phone and online video calls.
- Friendship Line: 1 (800) 971-0016
- Institute on Aging’s 24-hour toll-free Friendship Line for people aged 60 years and older, and adults living with disabilities: 1 (855) 639-7965
- Alcoholics Anonymous: English 1 (415) 674-1821 or Spanish 1 (415) 824-1834
- Buckelew Family Services: Remote services remotely and assistance by phone, email, and video conference calls. (707) 583-5284 or (707) 237-1334
- Buckelew Peer Services:
- Wellness and Advocacy Center: (707) 565-7800
- Interlink Self Help Warm line: (707) 546-4481
- Petaluma Peer Recovery Project warm line: (707) 565-1299
- Russian River Empowerment Center warm line: (707) 823-1640 ext 207, then press 0
Other Resources
- Contact the National Disaster Distress Helpline (English and Spanish)
- Toll-Free: 1 (800) 985-5990
- Text “TalkWithUs” to 66746; español: “Hablanos” al 66746
- TTY (for hard of hearing): 1 (800) 846-8517
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- NAMI Sonoma County Support Line: 1 (866) 960-6264 (Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm PST)
- For mental health resources, NAMI Hotline: 1 (800) 950-6264 (Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST)
- Mental Health Association of San Francisco: 1 (855) 845-7415, (California peer-run warm line, 24/7)
Sonoma County Food & Shower Resources
The Gravenstein Health Action Coalition has a list of
Free Local Meal and Shower Resources in Sebastopol
There are several additional food and shower resources available in Sonoma County.
Please Note: The lists below are rapidly changing. Call the Food Connections Office at
707-523-7903 if you have questions. If you have access to the internet, you are advised to go to
https://getfood.refb.org for a source of food distribution sites.
Downloadable Lists
Food Resources
Shower Resources
Resources for Seniors
For a list of resources for seniors and high risk populations, see the SoCo Emergency
Seniors and High Risk Populations webpage. You will find resources for information and referral phone lines, grocery stores offering delivery, pickup, or senior hours, meal services, pharmacy drive-up windows and delivery, well-being and emotional support resources, and senior community agency and non-profit services.
While the
Sebastopol Area Senior Center is closed to visitors during the COVID-19 crisis, they are responding to the challenge and continuing to provide critical services to seniors in our community. One of the resources the Senior Center is offering is virtual classes for seniors. See the
Sebastopol Area Senior Center website for more information, available classes, and how to sign up.
Online Education Resources
See the
Sonoma County Office of Education website for news and information about Sonoma County schools.
The
PBS LearningMedia website has several free online resources including standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more. The website also includes
PreK-12 Resources for Emergency Closings that include activities, lesson plans, and videos organized by grade and subject area.
Tips for Staying Safe
Follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommendations on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
- Know How It Spreads
- Everyone Should
- Clean your hands often
- Avoid close contact
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others
- Cover coughs and sneezes
- Clean and disinfect
Click
here for details on each tip.
HELP
STOP THE SPREAD OF GERMS.
State Water Board: Don't Flush Wipes!
SACRAMENTO – While the State Water Board and other public agencies encourage Californians to follow the Centers for Disease Control recommendations to clean surfaces with disinfecting wipes to reduce the spread of COVID-19, it is important to discard those items in the trash, not the toilet.
Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Even wipes labeled “flushable” will clog pipes and interfere with sewage collection and treatment throughout the state.
Wipes are among the leading causes of sewer system backups, impacting sewer system and treatment plant pumps and treatment systems. Many spills go to our lakes, rivers, and oceans where they have broad ranging impacts on public-health and the environment. Preventing sewer spills is important, especially during this COVID-19 emergency, for the protection of public health and the environment.
Please do not flush disinfectant wipes or paper towels down the toilet.
Contact: George Kostyrko
George.Kostyrko@waterboards.ca.gov
Pet/Animal Related Needs
What can you do if your pet or livestock needs food or veterinary care?
You are able to seek veterinary care for your pets.
Call your veterinarian before you go to the office since there social distancing procedures will be in place.
Your grocery store likely carries some types of pet food. Some pet and farm supply stores will be open for additional pet and livestock supplies. You can order online or call your vet’s office to buy special food.
Sonoma County Animal Services has prepared useful tips to help you prepare in case your pets need to be cared for by someone else during these uncertain times.
Food Security
Per the SoCo Emergency COVID-19 Website:
No one in Sonoma County should go hungry. Services to support residents who need help procuring food are available , but services are being taxed as more residents are out of work. Due to increased demand on our local organizations, your first resource is family, friends, neighbors and/or caregivers who can assist you. If you are unable to get assistance within your circle, the following community organizations are here to help you.
See the
SoCo Emergency Food webpage for links to resources and information.
See the food security and resource related
FAQs for more information.
Legal Aid of Sonoma County Available Services
As the COVID-19 event continues, residents may find themselves in need of legal services to address domestic violence, housing , veterans, disaster response resources, employment and elder issues.
Although the business office is closed, Legal Aid staff is working remotely and available to provide services to those in need.
Visit the
Legal Aid of Sonoma County website for information about:
- Legal Aid Program Information
- Domestic Violence Information
- Information for Tenants
- Elder Services Available During COVID-19 Duration
NOTE: The above information is also available en Español at the link above.
The Legal Aid of Sonoma County has also provided updated information about restraining orders and court dates during court closure, and a cover letter template for you to provide to your housing provider in the event you are unable to pay your rent.
Information About Restraining Orders and Court Dates During Court Closure (English)
Information About Restraining Orders and Court Dates During Court Closure (En Español)
Legal Aid Cover Letter for COVID-19 Tenant Template (English)
Legal Aid Cover Letter for COVID-19 Tenant Template (En Español)
COVID-19 Protections for Tenants
Below are additional resources in both English and Español created by Legal Aid of Sonoma County to explain COVID-19 tenant protections. These resources were designed to help Sonoma County tenants and landlords navigate a California law, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020.
COVID-19 Rental Assistance for Sonoma County Renters & Landlords Flyer
Resources in English
Los Recursos en Español