May has been Mental Health (MH) education and awareness month since Since 1949. A time when advocates and activists across the country draw attention to the mental health issues that affect as many as one in four Americans. according to Youth.gov! In these times of 2021, now more than ever, Schools have been focusing on everything but READ MORE... It’s time to stop pretending that everyone is stigma free and start Living stigma Free! Not only in May, but all year…
Being stigma Free: I can tell you what it is not, but i don’t want anymore negativity, but truth needs to be told to be aware of the changes that need to happen. Being Stigma Free is: being compassionate towards others. Understanding that others have problems and possible even MH conditions. Being Stigma Free is also not bullying others. To be a leader you must be a follower first, meaning humility. Being Stigma Free is understanding MH conditions, spreading the word to have conversations about MH conditions, how to help someone who might be having a MH crisis and know the signs as well as how to react! There is so much more to it than just saying it; Live it! Be it! don’t be what’s politically cool or correct, because it is not! “Be your self, cus someone else has already been taken”-Author unknown!
CLICK HERE To download our NEW HRG Community Resource Guide 2021 PDF!!
“No Health, Without Mental Health”, frankly! while states & TV news are blatant instigators, agitators, We can not let it distract from our over all wellbeing! There are resources and we must take care of our selves and others! We can live our lives and enjoy the day! we can stop, start over if we are having a so called bad day and we can be aware of others and be a community and sometimes like they say in AA; “trudge the road to happy destiny“! I will go into this saying in a bit, but i want to get to some resources for MH!
Here are some MH resource #’s that you can use: Mental Health must be a priority! If you need support, contact, help is available. Dial 911 for emergencies Bergen:201-262-HELP HELPLINE: 1-866-AID-NJEA (1-866-243-6532) or email AID-NJEA@ubhc.rutgers.edu https://www.njea.org/got-stress-call-njeas-member-helpline/
Compulsive Gambling of NJ 800-GAMBLER (426-2537)
1 866-COP-2COP (267-2267) /Fire, First Responder Support:
https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmhas/home/disaster/responder/
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Veterans Counseling Hotline 866-VETS-NJ4 (838-7654)
NJ Hope Line (suicide prevention) 855-654-6735
Reach NJ 844-732-2465 IME Addictions Access Center 844-276-2777
NJ Connect for Recovery 855-652-3737, The Peer Recovery Warmline 877-292-5588
National Suicide Hotline 800-273-8255,
NJ Mental Health Cares 866-202-HELP (4357) TTY: 1-877-294-4356
https://www.njea.org/got-stress-call-njeas-member-helpline/
Bergen County NJ Div. of MH(201-634-2745):
https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/mentalhealth-services/about-mental-health-services
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
If you need to download the Mental Health resource PDF CLICK HERE!!
Here are the Bergen County NJ Bergen County Division of Mental Health supported the agencies;
(there are many other MH agencies and some clinics as well in NNJ) You can dial 211/ NJ 211 has listings for all of NJ
**New DCA rental assistance program announced-THE NJ-DCA PROGRAM PORTAL CLICK HERE! For the applications & more info! CLICK HERE for the announcement! CLICK HERE for the NJ DCA funding source applications & info page!
Do you need our Basic list of Bergen’s food pantries? CLICK HERE!
Have you Checked out the H.A.R.T. Program? (Heroin Addiction Recovery Team program) (Not only for Heroin recovery) NOW IN WESTWOOD as well!
Have you Checked out the H.A.R.T. Program? (Heroin Addiction Recovery Team program) (Not only for Heroin recovery) NOW IN WESTWOOD as well! The Heroin Addiction Recovery team Program (H.A.R.T.) IS NOT ONLY FOR heroin but recovery from other drugs as well! (Click for video) The H.A.R.T. program rolled out in 2017 and serves more than BC. You can contact the various locations directly! Walk-in hours are at Mahwah, Paramus and Lyndhurst police departments. For Mahwah Click the URL> http://www.mahwahalliance.org/ And Now Westwood!
List of 12 step programs can be found HERE!
If you want a good rehabilitation and or Detox hare are some of the better ones: Teen Challenge is excellent; CLICK HERE!
BNBMC Paramus is the County hospital! They have meetings, Detox and other programs including after care! CLICK HERE!
There are plenty of resources now a days for Mental health and well being. Are you Stigma Free, no are you really stigma Free? I believe that it’s a state of mind, an action and has to be a lifestyle not just a phrase or resolution. The wonderful MH advocate Mary Ann Uzzi started the Bergen County stigma Free initiative many year ago in Paramus after she had said she saw a sigma free sign in Hoboken. Now it is all over NJ and beyond. I was elated to hear that other states and now counties including England, New Zealand and Cities like Hong Kong and more are delving into promoting, educating and spreading the word about MH.
About the break part, now and then everyone needs a MH break. Let’s talk about “respite”. Did you know that “respite” really means; as google says- res·pite/ˈ or respət,rēˈspīt/ . a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant… A respite center r unit is a place for care givers but not always is it for care givers, but for pretty much anyone with the state qualification guidelines: “The New Jersey Statewide Respite Care Program gives a short-term or periodic break to family…” Bergen County has several in county and out of county including the Bergen Wellnes center on 177 Hudson street’s out of county location. Bergen County Health Care Center and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center also has it as well. Homeless are not excluded.
Bergen; 12 step meetings, locations and info CLICK HERE!
Don’t forget to RSVP below to receive the link to attend the 2021 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Awards..
https://www.ramapo.edu/berrie-awards/2021-virtual-award-ceremony/embed/#?secret=2XY6P1y2vy
Are you in need of a free government Phone? There are at least 2 brands to choose from! Apply today!> Safelink & assurance!
Talking about the Russ Berrie awards briefly, Every one of the awards, each person did a huge part to make the, our Bergen County network great! every person and organization in the HRG Community Resource guide is a part of the Russ Berrie Honoree family, in my opinion. Thank you to all & congratulations to all Honorees! Attending the virtual Award Ceremony on Friday, May 7 at 11:30 am? Register here to attend.
Promoting a drug that is linked with youth suicide is not #StigmaFree! Do you know all the effects of marijuana smoking? Do you know the effects and consequences of thought who are doing drugs around you, including the criminal element? 2021 reality check: We all know governments lie, cheat and steal. And sometimes their decisions may not be to our benefit. Like the legalization of marijuana. If you think you’re going to get high just to get high, you need to think to yourself, “Why do I need to get high?” Why can’t you just enjoy life? If you’re taking it for medical reasons, prescribed by a doctor, that’s great! You are under a doctor’s care and it is controlled. Many 2020 DUI, marijuana-related car crashes were connected with alcohol use as well. Your question should be, “Did he drink and become impaired, then got high and then drove, or the other way around?” The fact is, even if Marijuana doesn’t kill you or others, according to reports, more kids are driving high. You do the math! In 2021, new legislation legalizing marijuana in New Jersey is underway. Legislators claim they are “decriminalizing” small amounts to decrease the number of minority arrests for possession. Well, the truth is, more will be arrested, more will become addicted, more kids will be taken away from their “responsible” young parents. (In a related story, states reportedly make millions off legally selling your kids). Back to marijuana and all your excuses, where they will lead you, whether you are going to smoke, the effects on the people around you. The facts are, if marijuana is legalized, there will be more Highway deaths, more arrests, more people harming or killing their babies, more multi-drug use and driving, more robbery homicides, and so on. You can blame everything else or you can wake up. Marijuana may not kill you, but it will likely affect your family, your friends and maybe ruin someone’s life. How much do you care about your family or others? That is the question! Consequences? REF. marijuana laws/NJ assembly; NJ-SENATE, No. 2535, No. 21. FYI the law was amended with few changes and…
HRG Community Resources, Guide & More 