May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and there’s no better time than now to start making mental health a priority.
Mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable. People experiencing mental health challenges deserve support, compassion, and care—not stigma and shame.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
All month long, ASK will be sharing tips and resources to help you better take care of your own mental health and to support good mental health for the youth in your lives. Please be sure to follow ASK across our social media platforms to be kept up to date on the information being shared.
Don’t be afraid to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Learning all you can about mental health is an important first step. Here are a few important mental health resources:
If you or someone you know is in crisis, text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained Crisis Counselor 24/7 at the Crisis Text Line or call/text 988 to reach a local crisis center through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
10 Common Warning Signs of a Mental Health Condition
Virtual Save A Life Wellness Fair
ASK’s virtual Save A Life Wellness Fair will connect you to resources that support Substance Misuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery; Mental Health and Opportunities for Thoughtful Service.
Click here to view the virtual Save A Life Wellness Fair and download the application on your phone. You never know when you, a friend, neighbor or loved one may need this vital information and by having it readily available it truly may be the most important gift you have ever given yourself or shared.
Life is hard, let’s be prepared to take good care of ourselves and one another.
Click Here to Visit the Virtual Save A Life Wellness Fair
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Volunteer Opportunities
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at awesome nonprofits throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties. To view these opportunities, please check out Volunteer New York!
The John C. Hart Memorial Library in Shrub Oak can always use some volunteers! To find out about their Teen Volunteer Program, click here.
Yorktown Leos Club
Leadership, Experience, Opportunity! The Yorktown Leos are a community service club for people ages 12-25 willing to help others in the community. They host and participate in a variety of fun and collaborative events. The Yorktown Leos Club has been helping the Yorktown community for over 25 years and to learn how to get involved, click here.
Hope for Recovery
By Susan Salomone
Loving someone who struggles with substance use can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. You’re constantly on edge, fearing that the next phone call or text will bring devastating news. My family lived through this for eight years, as our son battled addiction. It began with marijuana in high school and escalated in college to more dangerous substances. Tragically, he passed away on May 29, 2012, leaving behind three brothers, countless relatives, and heartbroken friends all asking the same question—how could this happen?
After his passing, we founded Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, a community-based organization dedicated to supporting families and individuals affected by addiction. Our mission is to shine a light on the dangers of opioids and heroin, and to connect those at risk with the help they need. We’re proud to be part of a growing network of groups and coalitions working to address the opioid crisis across Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland Counties.
Encouraging News: Overdose Deaths Decline
For the first time since 2020, we have good news. The CDC reports that drug overdose deaths have declined. From October 2023 to September 2024, there were approximately 87,000 deaths—down from around 114,000 the previous year. This improvement is due to several factors, including the wider availability of naloxone, changes in the illegal drug supply, and increased focus on prevention education.
Supportive Recovery Resources Expanding
We are also seeing growth in recovery housing. One recent example is Lexington Center’s Maple House in Mt. Kisco, a recovery home for men that opened on April 22. This ten-person facility is staffed onsite to provide a supportive environment for healing. For more information, contact Samuel Singletary at 914-301-8088.
Looking Ahead with Hope
Treatment centers continue to play a crucial role by offering family education and support from recovery coaches. These services are making a real difference in reducing overdose rates and helping more people find their path to recovery.
We believe there is always hope. Recovery is possible. If you or someone you love needs help, reach out. You’re not alone.
For more information or support, text or call Susan Salomone at 914-582-8384.
Weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups
From our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups, held virtually every Tuesday and Wednesday via Zoom. Spotlight on Recovery is a Family Educational and Support Group for families struggling with a loved one misusing substances. For more information, click here.
Weekly Yoga for Resilience
Do you have a loved one struggling with addiction? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Carve out time for yourself so you may respond to your loved one with a clear mind and an open heart. Join us on Zoom and we will come together in a safe space to practice somatic mindfulness, grounding and centering, containment and breath regulation. For more information, click here.
May 15 – Virtual Naloxone Training
Naloxone is a prescription medicine that reverses an overdose by blocking heroin or other opioids in the nervous system for 30-90 minutes. Naloxone is administered by injection or intranasal. Following training, participants receive a kit by mail. Please join our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard on Zoom at 6:30pm. Register by email: ssal@drugcrisisinourbackyard.com
Student Assistance Services Corner
“Helping Students Enhance Their Well Being by Making Healthy Decisions and Remaining Substance Free”
A partnership between a parent/guardian and Student Assistance Counselor best supports the nurturing of the social and emotional wellbeing of students. We encourage you to contact the SAC at your child’s school for a confidential consultation. Click here to learn more.
Lakeland High School Sasha Meyer Porco, LMSW, CASAC smeyerporco@lakelandschools.org
Yorktown High School Kiara Loughran, MS sacounselor@yorktown.org
Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School Ms. Finan, MS lfinan@lakelandschools.org
May 5 – Substance Abuse & The Impact on Families
Explore the impact of substance use on family dynamics and the emotional and psychological effects on children. Register here.
May 6 – Parenting in an Addictive World: When to Step In & How to Help
Parenting in today’s world means navigating a minefield of addictive temptations—social media, pornography, and substances can pull kids in before they even realize what’s happening. Join Kriya Lendzion, a counselor and prevention expert with over 30 years of experience, as she shares real-world strategies to help you guide your child through these challenges with warmth, structure, and impact. Register here.
NAMI Westchester
The families and members of NAMI Westchester are here to help! They offer understanding to anyone concerned about mental illnesses and the treatment of mental illness. To view their calendar, click here.
Westchester Breathes is an ongoing program offered by the Westchester Library System offering an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being. These exercises are simple and evidence-based – which is to say …they work! They are free and on Zoom. Register here.