Montefiore Holds Series of Bronx Events in
Recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month
BRONX,
N.Y., May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- No longer a
"silent struggle," hundreds of Bronx residents and families impacted by a
wide range of conditions that affect, mood, thinking and behaviors,
participated in Montefiore Health System events held throughout the
last two months in recognition of May being Mental Health Awareness
Month. Event topics were requested by community members and led by
Montefiore's department of Psychiatry and its Office of Community
& Population Health (OCPH).
"These events were incredibly emotional and inspirational as
each one was informed by individual neighborhoods expressing what
was most important to them – ranging from mindfulness to distress
to victimization and violence,"
said Liz Spurrell-Huss, MPH, MSW director, Health
Equity Programs, OCPH. "Each event was different, but every
time we were moved by how open and engaged everyone was about
topics that are often highly stigmatized and hard to discuss."
The events were held in partnership with local community-based
organizations, including:
- Breaking Ground - Park House, La
Central, Boston Road
- Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA)
- Pastoral Migratoria Saint Antony Of Padua Church
- Presbyterian Senior Services (PSS) Life
University
- Regional Aid for Interim Needs (RAIN): Middletown Center, Gun
Hill Senior Center, Tolentine Senior Center and Parkchester Senior
Center
- Riverdale Senior Services: Schervier Apartments, Marble Hill
Senior Center
- St. Luke Episcopal Church
"Hearing each person's stories, struggles and triumphs out
in the community is an honor – and it is an essential step in
bringing people who need mental health support into treatment,"
said Dr. Ana Ozdoba, director,
Psychiatry Residency Training, Montefiore Health System and
Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
"It was also an invaluable experience for our psychiatry residents,
who are newer to the field, as it reinforces why we are here in the
Bronx and the importance of
community partnerships in addressing today's mental health
crisis."
To close Mental Health Awareness Month, the Montefiore Child
Outpatient Psychiatry Division led by Dr. Jenny Seham, partnered with HearYourSong, a
nonprofit that empowers children and teens with serious illnesses
and complex health needs to make their voices heard through
songwriting, will present a concert featuring original songs about
topics ranging from friendship to struggling with depression.
Seham, who serves as Director, Arts and Integrative Medicine and
Montefiore Einstein's Youth Empowerment Series (YES), expressed,
"Children in our community are feeling unprecedented levels of
sadness and hopelessness; students of color are at
elevated risk for increased stress, anxiety and depression. YES
highlights the strength, resilience, and creativity of local youth
through arts performances and exhibits. Their songs have a powerful
impact on themselves and the audience; the concert is a true
community healing experience."
Montefiore is a designated Behavioral Center of Excellence by
the New York State Office of
Mental Health and earlier this year, announced plans create a new
pediatric inpatient psychiatry unit in the Bronx.
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SOURCE Montefiore Health System