(Courtesy of OHEL) Anxiety amongst children and adults has reached epidemic proportions, with statistics bearing out this stark reality. As David Mandel, OHEL CEO says, “Of the thousands of individuals OHEL serves every day, over 650 are challenged by some form of anxiety.”
For many in the community, this is compounded by ever-increasing financial stresses, marital strains, parenting challenges in a social media age, caregiving of a loved one and/or a traumatic life event—from divorce, the loss of a loved one, to a sudden or significant medical diagnosis.
Coinciding with the opening of The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus in Flatbush, and leveraging decades of experience in the effective treatment of anxiety and depression, OHEL has embraced a powerful message in Sign of Strength.org. As OHEL’s Director of Communications Derek Saker elaborates, “The message we seek to convey is that talking about emotions and mental health should no longer be seen as a sign of weakness, but a ‘Sign of Strength.’”
The campaign raises awareness of the many forms of anxiety and the readily available professional treatment to effectively manage anxiety amongst children and adults.
The initial launch of the campaign includes the video, “Sign of Strength,” which details the inspiring stories of two courageous individuals—one child, one adult— who share their transformative life experiences in proactively confronting and effectively managing their anxiety. The video can be viewed on their website.
OHEL is also targeting anxiety in schools, and will be working with educators and parents to raise greater awareness of early detection and treatment, and help develop better coping and resilience skills, so that children challenged by anxiety can thrive.
An educational video has been developed containing interviews with a number of educators and psychologists, including Dr Rayzel Yaish, clinical psychologist and guidance director at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, who comments that “Students today face a tremendous amount of pressure because of high expectations.”
To promote “Sign of Strength,” as well as the opening of The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus, OHEL has launched a significant bus shelter campaign in Brooklyn, which has been funded in part through a generous grant from The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The billboards, according to Frumi Meisels of iCatchMedia, are already the “talk of town—given their use of real people and eye-catching messages.”
OHEL has also launched a new song, “Let It Go,” composed with OHEL and Lipa Schmeltzer—which was also debuted at the OHEL Gala and is available for free download at SignofStrength.org. The accompanying music video will also shortly be released.
There are many dimensions to effectively treating personal anxiety, not least professional and compassionate therapists. Just as important, though, is a safe and comforting environment where individuals challenged by anxiety can feel relaxed and comfortable in talking about their emotions, their lives and innermost challenges.
OHEL’s regional centers from The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus in Flatbush to The Kleinman Family OHEL Regional Family Center in Far Rockaway, all offer specialized care and treatment and can be accessed through 1 -800-603-OHEL, www.signofstrength.org�and [email protected].
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