From the Desk of CEO Judy Halper: May 2022
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it is also Older Americans Month. Supporting mental health, and honoring older adults probably deserves more than one month on the calendar, but giving “double duty” to these important parts of life is something front and center at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis.
Recognizing that mental health and the process of aging are interconnected informs much of our service and programming. JFCS therapists are skilled at working with people of all ages, and we also acknowledge that different-aged people may process challenges and emotions uniquely, based on individual differences as well as their developmental stage. We recognize that for older people to live well and age well, a set of services designed for just that purpose is needed. JFCS helps to support people to age in place, as they would like to.
For people interested in exploring mental health concerns, JFCS has a new tool to help you make informed decisions about the kind of therapist you might like to work with. We recently added a page to our website that allows you to see and read about the various skilled and compassionate staff who work here.
Mental health management is ongoing, and we’ll be offering our 22nd Annual Community Mental Health conference this year on Oct. 23. Planning is already underway, and like previous years, we will provide a dynamic keynote speaker and lots of breakout sessions for exploring specific topics and issues.
Caregiving for older adults is also something JFCS specializes in. Our staff can help with coaching family members to have difficult and caring conversations with aging parents and loved ones – next spring we will offer another Caregivers Conference to support all those who are engaged in this important role. Our senior services also includes Meals on Wheels, Shopping services, telephone reassurance support, and much more.
Take some time to think about mental health, and about aging too. Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis is your go-to for tools to help in both areas.
Here for All. Always.