Blog

Are you frustrated that you know people who need help, but you can’t do anything from your house? If you are feeling helpless as you scroll through your IG feed or see the news, finding ways to help others during this time can actually be beneficial to your sense of self and your mental health.

This month we celebrate our amazing JCFS staff and foster parents for the incredible work they are doing to support and uplift each other, and the youth in their care. 

David’s Schwartz  late wife, Elaine, was on the board of JVS Career & Employment and on the Response for Teens Advisory Council. Through Elaine’s leadership, David became passionate about these crucial services for our community and honors her legacy through two special funds each year.

Quarantine has increased anxiety and depression in many young people across the board.  However, if you identify as LGBTQ+, being cut off from support networks, like friends and GSAs, and possibly living in non-affirming spaces, may make these intense emotions even worse.  While it may feel like it, you are not alone. 

by Nina Henry, JCFS Chicago Addiction Specialist

With much of the world shut down, loneliness has become a familiar facet of everyday life, especially for older Americans living alone, in nursing homes, or retirement communities.

by: Ann Luban, Senior Director, Jewish Community Services

NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) reported that 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth struggle with mental health challenges each year. While there are no magic wands we can wave, there are some strategies we can employ to help ourselves and that we can share with our family and friends.

You love your family, but you do not always get along. As you look toward spending more time with your family, are you excited or dreading arguments and annoying siblings? 

By the time children turn two, they typically produce at least 100 words. Yet, not all children develop along this typical trajectory. Phrases such as “he’s a late talker” and "she’ll talk when she wants to” begin to be thrown around. But what does the term “late talker” really mean and how does it differ from a child with a language delay?

While we feel the stress as parents, employees, and people, we cannot compare anything we have experienced in our past to what our teens and tweens are going through now. Here are some tips to maintain your own equilibrium.

As we reshape our lives and navigate a new normal, we feel the impact of this current pandemic on our emotional well-being.