MARQUETTE — The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has developed new resources to help Michigan workers certify their unemployment claims.

Also, in order to avoid slowdowns and keep the UIA’s online system functioning properly, the agency is directing claimants who need to certify next week to avoid doing so on Monday and instead wait to certify throughout the week and during off-peak hours.

Mondays generally have the highest number of logins and web interactions.

Under federal law, unemployed workers must certify that they are still unemployed two weeks after their initial claim is approved and every two weeks after. Once the claim is certified, benefit payments are disbursed. Claimants can certify their claim by visiting Michigan.gov/UIA and signing into their MiWAM account.

Agency launches

‘warmline’

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is launching a statewide “warmline” for Michiganders living with persistent mental health conditions. The warmline will connect individuals with certified peer support specialists who have lived experiences of behavioral health issues, trauma or personal crises, and are trained to support and empower the callers.

The warmline will operate from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week toll-free at 888-PEER-753. It is intended to serve individuals living with persistent mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression and trauma. Individuals in crisis, including those considering suicide, are urged to contact the Disaster Distress Helpline 24/7 at 800-985-5990 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at 800-273-8255.

“The warmline will help individuals with long-term mental health challenges find someone to talk to — someone who has lived these challenges themselves — and do it while staying safe and staying home,” said Robert Gordon, MDHHS director, in a news release. “COVID-19 is a grave threat not just to physical health, but also to mental health, and we are doing everything we can to offer supports for everyone.”

Warmlines are an alternative to traditional psychiatric crisis hotlines and are used to avoid extreme emotional distress that can lead to hospitalization or other severe outcomes that are preventable with early intervention of peer support.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced the Stay Home, Stay MIndful website in partnership with Headspace, which focuses on mindfulness and meditation, and the MDHHS, to provide a new mental health resource for Michiganders to access for free during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michiganders across the state can access a specially curated collection of science-backed, evidence-based guided meditations, along with at-home mindful workouts as well as sleep and kids content to help address rising stress and anxiety. The materials are available at www.headspace.com/MI.

Child support funds addressed

As a result of a federal requirement, stimulus payments to noncustodial parents who owe child support will be directed to custodial parents and children, the MDHHS announced.

“The Office of Child Support wants to make sure parents understand what is happening with stimulus payments to people who owe child support,” Office of Child Support Director Erin Frisch said in a news release.

As federal stimulus payments — officially known as Economic Impact Payments — authorized by the CARES Act are sent to Michigan parents who owe child support and qualify for enforcement, all or a portion of this payment will be intercepted by the IRS through the Tax Offset Program. The funds will then go to the MDHHS Office of Child Support to be applied to the child support debt owed as required by the CARES Act.

Funds will be distributed to the custodial parent or guardian in the same way the Office of Child Support distributes all yearly federal income tax refunds that are intercepted.

Musical program postponed

The Marquette Choral Society has postponed its upcoming performance, “Sacred Gems: Music from America and Beyond,” which had been scheduled for April 25 at Reynolds Recital Hall at Northern Michigan University.

The program has been rescheduled for Dec. 5-6 at St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette. The group will premiere new musical works by local composers Thomas LaVoy and Griffin Candey.

Universities lending aid

InvestUP partner Lake Superior State University has taken resources from nursing labs, chemistry and biology areas and donated hospital beds, IV pumps, N-95 masks and face shields to War Memorial Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie.

In addition, LSSU has used its 3D printers to provide support to the Great Lakes Composites Institute of Bay Mills Community College to assist with producing 40 face shields per day, which will be given to local health care and hospice facilities.

The transition to remote learning and virtual programming allowed the university’s student government and University Activities Board to come together and donate $7,000 of their budgets toward the purchase of protective equipment for those on the front lines.

Also, Michigan Tech University has partnered with local hospitals to ensure the Upper Peninsula has better access to COVID-19 test results. The lab has the capacity to run 40 samples per hour and will save health care providers days of waiting for test results.

Christie Mastric can be reached at cbleck@miningjournal.net