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.
ASK is proud to curate the virtual Save A Life Wellness Fair which 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.
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.
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.
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. Please inquire about setting up a virtual training by contacting Susan Salomone at: ssal@drugcrisisinourbackyard.com.
Feeling overwhelmed? Join Us for Nervous System Regulation and Gentle Movement
This will be a safe space where we may connect and come home to ourselves. Practice may be done from a seated position, with options to stand for moving meditations. For more information, click here.
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 | Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School Ms. Finan, MS lfinan@lakelandschools.org | Yorktown High School Kiara Loughran, MS sacounselor@yorktown.org |
Upcoming Events
May 5 – Helping Youth Navigate Influence: From Nicotine Pouches to the Next Trend
In part two, Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher of Stanford REACH Lab explores how substance companies target youth and why young people try substances. Learn practical, science-backed strategies to guide conversations, become a trusted adult, and help youth resist influence before first use. Register here.
May 6 – Understanding Kratom: What You Need to Know
Kratom can induce opioid-like dependence, sometimes leading to addiction, and is readily available at your local gas station along with other retail outlets. Whether you’re a parent, community member, or simply looking to stay informed, this conversation is designed to be clear, accessible, and grounded in real-world impact. Register here.
May 9 – Mindful Forest Bathing Retreat
Immerse yourself in the quiet beauty and warmth of Spring as sunlight filters through leaves, birds joyfully serenade, the air softens and the forest hums with new life. Please join for a slow, peaceful stroll with pauses, experiencing the Spring forest as it is right now alive, vibrant and unfolding moment by moment led by Stef Carbone, LCSW, Certified Forest Therapy Guide. Register here.
May 18 – Understanding School Avoidance: Strategies to Support Re-Engagement
Explore the common reasons why children avoid school and how to identify the root causes behind school avoidance. You’ll gain practical strategies for re-engaging children in their education and learn how to collaborate effectively with schools to create supportive plans that foster success. Register here.
May 26 – Understanding Eating Disorders
Although our culture is preoccupied with food and weight, and disordered eating is very common, clinical diagnosis of eating disorders is less common. Even for professionals who have been treating them for years, eating disorders can be confusing illnesses. Explore the types of eating disorders, their signs & symptoms, risk factors, and treatment in this one-hour seminar. 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.