Access to mental health care is a significant issue across the country. Affordability, location, stigma, negative past experiences, and so much more prevent people from seeking the mental health care they need and deserve. One barrier some cite as a reason they delayed seeking mental health care is confusion around medication and therapy. Mental healthRead More
June 21st might be the first official day of summer, but high heat and humidity begin plaguing the citizens of the Gulf South well before the official start of the season. Outdoor temperatures rise, indoor temperatures drop, and the thought of doing much of anything outside, while the sun is out, becomes less and lessRead More
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Organizations like JFS hope you will join us this month to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experience. You can participate by following organizations on social media, sharing awareness messaging, contacting your legislators to ask forRead More
This month on the blog, JFS is featuring a testimonial from Cortni Randazzo, Client and Donor Services Specialist at JFS. Cortni’s story about receiving a mental health diagnosis in adulthood examines not only how difficult such a period can be, but there are tools available to cope. Sharing our mental health journeys helps remove theRead More
Happy Social Worker month to everybody! March is not only Women’s History Month, but National Social Workers Month as well. According to a 2017 study from George Washington University, 83% of social workers are women! While JFS offers a variety of services to our community, social work is a major part of our mission. OverRead More
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. As the Bilingual Human Trafficking Case Manager at JFS, I would like to share information about recognizing human trafficking as well as local organizations helping survivors. The Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force (GNOHTTF) focuses on providing client-centered and trauma-informed services. Through collaboration with otherRead More
Life may be uncertain, but one thing I know for sure is that time literally flies. I remember New Year’s Eve 1989 feeling so excited about my first decade change, and now 2022 is just around the corner. While 1989 feels not so long ago, the 30+ years in between brought so much change toRead More
Thanksgiving is a time for food, family, and gratitude. Gathered around the dinner table, people share their gratitude for children, friends, family, and their many blessings. I am grateful to all of my loved ones for their unconditional love and support, too. This year, however, I am most thankful for the ability to put myselfRead More
When unaccompanied minors (immigrant children who arrive in the U.S without their parents or caregivers) present themselves at the U.S/Mexico border, they are put into the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement to await reunification with their family members or loved ones in the U.S. The Family Support Specialist and Family Support Coordinator teamRead More
We live in very stressful times. One of the online memes that I see a lot is a picture of a young boy looking tired, with the caption, “I’m kinda tired of living through historical events!” Aren’t we all! It’s difficult to deal with everything that’s going on all at once. Global warming and climateRead More
September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. One of JFS’ long-standing programs is Teen Life Counts (TLC), a youth suicide prevention curriculum that brings vital education about the issue to schools in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Charles, and St. Bernard parishes. The program is designed to provide students with education, resources, and skills toRead More
Your friends are headed back to the gym and happy hour gatherings. Your mom wants you to join her at the monthly art walk. Your boss is asking when you’ll be back in the office. Everyone seems ready to go back to normal, but you’re not. As vaccination rates rise and COVID restrictions loosen, someRead More
Seniors who live independently faced impossible challenges due to the pandemic. How does that change your planning for the future? Seniors in our community had an exceptionally difficult year. Those living independently faced new challenges. They couldn’t rely on the usual support from visiting family and friends. They were isolated and managed their household tasksRead More
by Max Balakoff Content Warning: This blog post contains information that might be upsetting to some readers. References to and/or discussion of inter-relationship abuse and victim-blaming follow. It’s been an unprecedented year for all of us. We are a world trying to process great loss, a world in mourning. Some of us lost loved ones,Read More
Immigration has been a hot topic in media and political debates. Many of us are not aware, however, of the immigration process undocumented people, especially unaccompanied children, experience or even what brings them to the U.S. in the first place. Unaccompanied children (UC) is a term describing children under the age of 18 who comeRead More
Human trafficking forms complex webs of exploitation and pain. In their efforts to access a safer and better life, survivors must juggle potential risks to their health, safety, immigration status, families, and more. When organizations, such as JFS, assist survivors of human trafficking, the care we provide must account for the many challenges facing ourRead More
It’s the holiday season! Between parties, gifts, sweets, and treats, many of our clients are filled with more holiday dread than holiday cheer. Long to-do lists, family dynamics, and social expectations can transform a time of joy and laughter into one of doubt and misery. Our therapists put together a list of three ways toRead More
In 1990, the US Congress established the first full week in October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). It’s a time for advocates of mental health, whether those who experience mental illness or practitioners who serve them, to amplify their message en masse. Mental illnesses impact millions of Americans, and their experiences are as variedRead More
When it comes to discussions about suicide, safety planning must be a part of that conversation. Why? Well, as Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing for failure.” If you experience suicidal thoughts and/or attempted suicide in the past, you are at risk of attempt again. Coming up with a preventative safetyRead More
Depression is a difficult and pervasive illness. Many in our community, educated about and knowledgeable of their own experiences with the illness, are struggling . JFS therapists also hear from others, without any history of, or familiarity with, depression, who wonder and fear they are depressed. The reflection below, written by JFS’ Board President, BetsyRead More
Telemental health is now synonymous with pandemic life. In New York Times articles and emails from your healthcare provider, health care professionals are encouraging the public to begin, or continue, counseling via telemental health care. But what should you expect when talking to a counselor remotely via telemental health? Generally, only the means of communicationRead More
This month, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people will celebrate themselves and honor the people who catalyzed the Gay Liberation Movement with the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. Pride month is a time of both self-affirmation and reflection for the queer community. Despite the enormous obstacles the LGBTQ community has overcome to secure their rights,Read More
Jewish Community Open Letter to the African-American Community
By Camila Sobral *The newest member of the JFS staff shares how her family celebrates during coronavirus social distancing My family, like many Jewish families around the world, is celebrating Passover through Zoom. Even before the pandemic, my family couldn’t celebrate together because we all live on differentRead More
The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans, and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana have partnered with a number of area synagogues to create a Jewish community response helpline program for problems related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Our collective goal is to provide connection during a time ofRead More
JFS is prepared to meet the needs of our community and clients to the fullest and safest extent possible during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are in communication with civic leaders on how to best serve our clients. We strive to maintain operations while prioritizing the health and safety of our clients and staff. To thisRead More
By Fran Dinehart, LCSW Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic technique used to address issues resulting from trauma. Clients who struggle to participate in talk therapy might find EMDR more successful as they are not asked to discuss their traumatic memories in depth. EMDR treatment employs eight phases. I previously shared a caseRead More
Please join Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home and Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans for The Conversation, an educational seminar on senior care planning and the importance of ‘conversing’ with family and health care professionals on topics including senior housing, living wills, advance care directives, health care and more. Our special guest speaker isRead More
By Ruth Goldberg, LCSW-BACS, ACSW, BCD In observance of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, held annually in January, Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans is sharing the story of one of our clients, a human trafficking survivor. While based on a true story, names and certain details are changed to protect theirRead More
By Fran Dinehart, LCSW Recently I was privileged to attend a training on Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) hosted by Imagine Recovery, and am excited to integrate what I have learned into my therapy practice. Although DBT was developed for people with borderline personality disorder, it also borrows widely from Mindfulness Based Stress ReductionRead More