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
Facts About Fentanyl
THE DRUG LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED…
(Source: Song for Charlie)
- Illegally made fentanyl dominates the street drug supply, causing record numbers of drug deaths in America.
- Drug users are frequently unaware that their drug contains fentanyl, an opioid 50X stronger than heroin.
- Street drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and meth often contain fentanyl, without the user’s knowledge.
- Fentanyl is used to press fake prescription pills, sold deceptively as Xanax, Percocet, Oxycodone & more.
- Fentanyl is involved in 79% of Gen Z drugs deaths, higher than any other age group
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!
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.
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.
May 2, 16 & 30 – 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 26 – 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. Presented by our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard. Register by email: ssal@drugcrisisinourbackyard.com
Student Assistance 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
Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School: Ms. Finan, MS, lfinan@lakelandschools.org
Yorktown High School: Kiara Loughran, MS, sacounselor@yorktown.org
Check out what we have been up to in the schools!
Upcoming Events
May 8 – Let’s Talk: Parenting and Safety in the Age of Fentanyl
Fentanyl has changed the game when it comes to navigating adolescence and parenting. It has caused a record number of overdoses and left parents feeling helpless about what to do. New dangerous substances are appearing on the streets. Join us for this informative, interactive session to learn critical information about fentanyl as well as useful strategies for preventing tragic consequences. Register here.
May 8 -Mental Health in LGBTQIA+ Communities
LGBTQIA+ adults are three times more likely to experience a mental health disorder than people who identify as straight. Discuss what factors impact this statistic, how to find supportive professionals, ways of coping, and how to be a true ally in this one-hour seminar with a licensed therapist. Register here.
May 14 – The Truths of Youth Screen Addiction
Are you noticing your child’s screen time creeping out of control? Join Operation Parent for an eye-opening webinar. All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar, so attend live or watch on your own time! Register here.
May 21 – Responding in a Mental Health Emergency
Learn what causes crisis situations and the warning signs, how to respond, and what to do once the crisis has ended. Register here.
The Parent Support Network
The Parent Support Network is a program of Mental Health America that seeks to provide support for parents and guardians who are concerned about the mental health of their children (ages 1 -25) through confidential, peer-to-peer meetings. For a list of upcoming virtual meetings, click 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.