Ten local human services agencies want you to know that it’s OK this holiday season to feel sad or grieve, and you’re not alone.
The agencies have devised a comprehensive list of resources, from Crisis Services to addiction services to employment services.
“We realized after the blizzard last year, when we watched so many people suffer a community collective trauma, that we needed to pull together, we needed to keep bringing our agencies together and continuing to provide resources,” said Christina Pearl, corporate director of communication at Horizon Health Alliance.
Pearl also is on the board of Mental Health Advocates of Western New York. Other agencies involved in the We Are Hope campaign include the Spectrum Health Buffalo HOPE program, Buffalo Urban League Buffalo HOPE program, BestSelf Behavioral Health, state Office of Mental Health, Erie County Department of Mental Health, Crisis Services, Endeavor Health Services and Hope Rises.
Members of the groups put together more than 300 mental health tool kits last weekend  and distributed them in the region. They include the resource guide, safety plans, mindful exercises and more.Â
“With the holidays, with severe winter months approaching, we thought now is a good time to kick something like this off, but not just be one and done,” Pearl said. “It’s OK to feel sadness, to feel grief, to feel loneliness.”
Information in the tool kits included winter well-being tips: Talk to someone you trust, remember you are not alone, ask for help and write down your feelings.Â
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which can be reached by calling 988, is among the contact information.Â
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has the following strategies to deal with holiday stress:Â
Pay attention to your feelings:Â Recognizing your feelings is the first step to addressing and nurturing them. Develop a plan for when you are feeling stressed, sad or lonely….
Read the full article here