Articles

Catching Friends Before Rock Bottom

It is true that people aren’t always ready to accept help, even when they desperately need it, but that doesn’t mean we need to wait until they hit rock bottom before accepting or seeking help. We can and should intervene before our friends get to that point. But we need to understand how to do it most effectively and sensitively.

Suggested Readings

NEW YEAR – NEW YOU!: A Teshuvah Reader by Anne Andrew, PhD

This short booklet will lead you to understand the significance and power of teshuvah, and it will provide you a step-by-step method to help to achieve it and to change your life in ways you never thought possible.

Downloads

Halachic Responsa: When Should a Person Come Off the Communal Prayer List?

Rabbinic Responsa from Rabbis Daniel Greyber & Micah Peltz about what guidance traditional Jewish sources can offer about when one should and should not pray for someone who is ill? What about mental, terminal, or chronic illnesses? When should we stop praying for someone’s healing because it cannot be reasonably expected?

Suggested Readings

When Your Child is Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers

A comprehensive and FREE guide, aimed at parents and caregivers, which provides an overview and guidance on how to respond when a child is experiencing a serious mental health challenge, created by No Shame On You.

Suggested Readings

Teen Mental Health – A Safe Space for Teens

TeenMH is a free resource that offers honest, practical information and resources to help young people understand more about mental health in a fun to navigate format that includes many options for entertainment, education, and engagement.

Suggested Readings

Suicide Facts and Resources from Innerbody

Innerbody seeks to provide objective, science-based information and advice that helps you make health-related decisions and enjoy a healthier, happier lifestyle, and has compiled some facts about rates of suicide in different populations, risk factors for suicidal actions, and information on warning signs and resources to help you.

Audio + Video

Through the Portal: Exploring the Connections Between Judaism and Mental Health with the Blue Dove Foundation

From the Jewish Education Project | The third session of the Through the Portal series, presented by the Blue Dove Foundation's Director of Education and Programming, Carly Coons. In this session, we will familiarize ourselves with the resource library, learn the tips to navigate it, and think about the ways to utilize the all of the meaningful resources connecting mental health and Judaism in your own spaces. The resource library includes articles, downloadable activity sheets, videos and podcasts, and more about Jewish holidays and concepts in your own spaces, and the ways Judaism addresses mental illness. Through the Portal is a new series of presentations by the Portal's Resource Partners. These presentations will guide users on how to best navigate and utilize our partners' materials.

Articles

Giving to Yourself on Hanukkah

By Max Hollander | On Hanukkah, as you light the candles on the hanukkiah, be sure to look inward at the light shining inside of you, and take steps to ensure your inner flame is happy, healthy and bright.