May is Mental Health Month, and West Hartford-based Jewish Family Services has a special virtual program planned for May 14.

Submitted

To mark 2020 Mental Health Month, Jewish Family Services (JFS) and Tara’s Closet present “A Virtual Day with JFS” on Thursday, May 14.

In the morning from 10-11 a.m., Rachel Lutzker, a reporter for FOX61 and The River 105.9, and her children will read Heather Malley’s book “Not Forever But For Now: A story for children about feelings during the pandemic.”

Following story time, Emily Sachs, Licensed Professional Counselor, will provide tips on talking to children about the coronavirus pandemic and help children process their feelings during social distancing.

In the evening from 7:30-8:30 p.m., Dr. Evan Fox, Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital/HH, will moderate “A Conversation about Coping With COVID-19,” and Sophie Riegel, author of “Don’t Tell Me To Relax: One Teen’s Journey to Survive Anxiety” will give Strategies for Quaranteenagers.

One in five experience mental illness each year. “Now more than ever we need to increase mental health awareness,” said Barbara Roth, founder of Tara’s Closet.

“Before the outbreak and social distancing, we already had a mental health crisis with people suffering from anxiety, depression, isolation, and loneliness. I founded Tara’s Closet to honor the memory of my daughter, Tara Savin, who lost her life to bi-polar disorder. Our goal is to break the stigma on mental health because people are very much afraid to talk about it; it is crucial to openly discuss and normalize the conversation so people are not afraid to ask for help especially during these challenging times.”

To join the event, follow the ZOOM LINK: jfshartford.org/zoom

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