NYS Mental Health Groups Launch a Strive for Five Challenge
Aimed at Reaching out to 5 People a Day During the Virus Crisis
The Coalition for Behavioral Health and the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) announced the launching of the Strive for Five Challenge to encourage all New Yorkers to reach out, connect and comfort each other while we all work our way through the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing.
The challenge is simple: individuals find 5 people in their life who they will check-in during each of the next 30-days.
New Yorkers always step forward in a crisis and there has never been a more critical time, as Governor Cuomo emphasized this morning, to reach out and look after each other’s mental health. As movement is increasingly restricted, the importance of virtual check-ins grows more important each day.
We encourage New Yorkers to connect with people who may be isolated, lonely or live alone, and to reach out to neighbors, friends, families and co-workers. First responders, healthcare workers and other individuals who are courageously keeping our essential services open also need support now, as do caregivers who are hard at work taking care of others.
New Yorkers may not be able to touch each other physically but we can certainly touch each other through these other forms of connection!
The people we serve, in recovery from mental health or substance use related conditions, especially understand the great and unique power of personal peer to peer support and connection to others at times of crisis to allay the anxiety and fears we all face at this time.
The Strive for Five Challenge gives us all the opportunity and power to take these first steps. Our video offers tips for your daily check-ins. Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/Co2GuMaxbWE
Please email us at striveforfivechallenge@gmail.com to let us know you are taking the challenge and use the social media hashtag #NYStrive5 to spread the word across New York State.
Let's create a movement of compassion and connection that demonstrates the extraordinary spirit and determination for New Yorkers to support each other at this challenging time!
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About The Coalition for Behavioral Health
The Coalition for Behavioral Health serves New York’s behavioral health community by providing policy, advocacy, training and technical assistance to more than 100 community-based behavioral health providers. The Coalition trains about 4,000 behavioral health workers annually. Our membership serves over 600,000 individuals annually, providing mental health and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery services.
About the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS)
NYAPRS is a statewide coalition representing tens of thousands of New Yorkers who receive and/or provide recovery support services that is dedicated to advancing community programs and public policies that advance the principles of recovery, rehabilitation, rights and full community inclusion.