Managing Mental Health During Covid-19

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The mission to end the stigma about mental illness and the need to address mental health problems is more important than ever. There's been concern about an increase in depression, anxiety, and suicide in the United States, especially among the young, for years. The coronavius pandemic has exacerbated the problem. Nearly half the people in the U.S. report that COVID-19 has negatively affected their mental health, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reported 41% more phone calls and emails to their emergency lines from March 1 to April 23, as compared to the same period last year.

As the largest provider of licensed outpatient mental health services in Westchester County, WJCS provides a full range of mental health services via video chat and phone during COVID-19 in order to help Westchester residents deal with their feelings of anxiety, depression, isolation, loneliness, and financial insecurity. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health problems during the pandemic, please know that WJCS is here for you.

Here are some of the ways WJCS is addressing mental health needs during COVID-19:

• WJCS is offering a full array of behavioral health services via telehealth for persons with Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicare, and some commercial insurance plans. Services include individual, family, and group therapy, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management. For those interested in telehealth services, please contact an admitting specialist at the closest location: Yonkers (914) 423-4433 ext. 3; Hartsdale (914) 949-7699 ext. 4; Mt Vernon (914) 668-8938 ext. 3; Peekskill (914) 737-7338 ext. 3.

• In partnership with the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, WJCS has been offering free live streamed parenting groups, led by WJCS mental health professionals, every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Topics have focused on the stressful challenges posed by parenting children and adolescents during this difficult time. On Wednesday May 13, the final session will be geared to adolescents who feel "stuck" at home. To join the group, download the Zoom app and click on this link: https://zoom.us/j/830644997. The meeting ID is: 830 644 997. To watch recorded videos of past parenting groups, go to https://www.wjcs.com/news/2020/03/26/feature/wjcs-hosts-free-online-pare....

• WJCS conducts a Partners in Caring program with 25 synagogues in Westchester, offering support groups, bereavement counseling, Mindfulness Meditation, employment sessions, and parent support groups.

• In recognition that everyone is affected during these uncertain times, WJCS is publishing daily tips for self-care on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to help people cope during COVID-10. To see all 31 recommendations, go to: https://www.wjcs.com/news/2020...

• A free online lecture for mental health professionals in Westchester is being offered on May 26 from 1-2 pm by WJCS Chief Clinical Officer Patricia Lemp, LCSW and Liane Nelson, Ph.D., Director of the WJCS Trager Lemp Center for Treating Trauma & Promoting Resilience. The topic is "Clinical Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic: What We Know, What We've Learned, How We'll Grow." Utilizing a framework for understanding trauma, loss, and resilience, participants will learn to apply a theoretical framework to clinical work in the current pandemic. Through discussion, participants will have an opportunity to share successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Self-care, boundaries, and use of telehealth services will be discussed. Enrollment is limited. To learn more and register, go to: https://www.wjcs.com/events/20...