The mouth is full of bacteria but mostly harmless. When gums become inflamed or infected (a condition known as periodontal disease), harmful bacteria can enter the bloodstream. Once circulating, these bacteria can contribute to inflammation throughout the body, including in the arteries.
“A growing mental health crisis is impacting communities across Louisiana, with more people seeking help for a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse and other behavioral health needs. At Open Health Care Clinic on Airline Highway, staff members say mental health care is one of their top priorities. “Everyone is navigating something different in their life,” said Jemiela Castleberry, Director of Behavioral Health at the Mid City Clinic. Castleberry said the clinic is designed to be a place where patients can find support, healing and stability.”
Patience is the art of coping with circumstances we cannot control. When our emotional resources fail short, we become frustrated, overwhelmed, and unproductively angry. Practicing patience is both a spiritual discipline and a mental health coping strategy. In a time of unpredictable change, we need tools to help us remain grounded. Patience is good medicine. Welcome to Mental Health Awareness month.
Moms Matter is a live event designed for women who are balancing the emotional demands of family, work, and their own well-being. On Saturday, April 25, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Renaissance Hotel on Bluebonnet, Post Trauma Institute of Louisiana (PTI) will host an open and engaging forum focused on how anxiety shows up in four key areas of a woman's life: within her
It’s been a tough year for flu in Baton Rouge, according to Dr. Rani Whitfield.
“This is probably the heaviest respiratory season we’ve seen since Covid,” says Dr. Whitfield. As the chief medical officer at Open Health Care Clinic (OHCC) in Louisiana, he has seen a major surge in RSV, influenza, and Covid-19. Currently, his team is also treating severe secondary infections like pneumonia.
These illnesses spread quickly among families living in crowded housing. Consequently, severe infections began overwhelming local emergency rooms earlier this season. This surge is a major concern for Open Health, which provides specialized care to patients living with HIV and AIDS.
For many people, the holidays bring joy and connection. For others, they can bring stress, loss, disappointment, or loneliness. If you’re feeling emotionally drained now that the holidays are over, you’re not alone—and there is nothing wrong with you.
Some people are recovering from difficult or hurtful family interactions. Others may be grieving loved ones and facing the holidays without family for the first time. Some may feel sadness or guilt for not being able to connect with family at all. These experiences can leave lasting feelings even after the decorations come down.
Louisiana continues to face some of the highest health challenges in the nation. In times like these, access to quality care matters more than ever. This Giving Tuesday, our community can come together to help change the health future of Baton Rouge!
We're excited to bring you the first edition of our new quarterly newsletter. Each issue will feature updates from Open Health, tips for living a balanced, healthy life, and news about community healthcare happenings in the Baton Rouge area and beyond.
In this September edition, you will learn about:
Our new Dental Mobile Unit on the road and serving the community!
New extended evening and weekend hours now available at select clinics.
Tips for creating a mentally healthy online environment.
16 easy weeknight meals you can make in 30 minutes or less, courtesy of Simply Recipes.
Your partner in a healthy community,
The Open Health Foundation Team
We know life gets busy—between work, school, and everything in between, finding time for healthcare can be tough. That’s whyOpen Health Care Clinic is now offering evening and weekend appointments at select locations!
Whether you need in-person care or prefer a virtual visit, we’ve got options to fit your schedule:
Extended clinic hours at select locations
Medical and mental health telehealth appointments available
This is part of our ongoing commitment to making healthcare more accessible, affordable, and convenient for everyone in our community—regardless of insurance or income status.
Because your health shouldn’t have to wait.
Who couldn't use some inspiration for simple, healthy dinner recipes? If this season has your schedule packed or just want a new dinner recipe, check out this helpful article from Simply Recipes by clicking on the link above.
These quick and delicious meals are perfect for busy evenings—and may even become new family favorites!
Open Health Care Clinic provides a full range of emotional health support for the whole family. Our counselors are here to help with individual and group counseling, clinical psychology, and medication management. We also provide these services to six area schools.
Watch the video below as one of our providers discusses the challenges our children and young adults face today. See that suicide is a common topic discussed in student counseling. Anitra Robinson, LPC shares what she experiences as a School-Based Behavioral Health Counselor.
As the new school year begins, it’s more important than ever for parents and children to understand the connection between internet safety and mental health. With 95% of teenagers and nearly 40% of children, ages eight to 12 using some form of social media, the digital world plays a major role in their daily lives.
While social media and online platforms can offer opportunities for learning and connection, they also come with serious risks, especially for young people who may be struggling emotionally. Children and teens facing mental health challenges may be more vulnerable to online dangers, including grooming, exploitation, and risky behavior. Without clear boundaries, they may overshare personal information or engage in inappropriate conversations without realizing the consequences.
Cyberbullying and online harassment are also major concerns, with links to low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Excessive gaming, while a source of entertainment, can spiral into addiction. This can lead to sleep problems, lower academic performance, and social withdrawal, all of which can further impact mental health.
Children and teens may also be exposed to violent, sexual, or self-harm-related content on social media platforms. This kind of exposure can desensitize them to harmful behaviors or normalize unhealthy coping mechanisms, further affecting their emotional wellbeing.
How Parents Can Support Safe and Healthy Online Habits
Here are some ways parents can promote a safer and more mentally healthy online environment:
Talk openly and often: Create a safe, judgment-free space where your child feels comfortable sharing their online experiences, especially if they’ve been targeted by bullying or come across disturbing content.
Educate and be understanding: Rather than banning technology, teach your child how to recognize online risks and navigate digital spaces responsibly. Discuss the importance of privacy, appropriate interactions, and why it’s okay to say no or block someone.
Monitor screen time and behavior: Keep an eye out for changes in mood, sleep, or academic performance, which could indicate a problem. Use parental controls when necessary but aim for transparency and collaboration rather than strict surveillance.
Encourage offline connections: Support friendships and activities that happen outside of screens. Positive, in-person interactions are essential for building emotional resilience and social skills.
Remind them that social media is curated: Help your child understand that most people only post the best parts of their lives online. Comparing themselves to these highlight reels can distort their self-image and lead to unrealistic expectations.
By fostering open communication, setting healthy boundaries, and being proactive about online safety and emotional wellbeing, families can help children develop the tools they need to thrive, both online and offline.
-Tanisha Winfrey, MSW, LCSW
Behavioral Health Counselor
Open Health Care Clinic
Thank you for being a friend of Open Health Foundation. We hope this inaugural newsletter has been of value to you. Please reach out to us with any feedback you have about the information here or if you would like to schedule a tour of our clinics to learn more. Just email us back!
Your partner in a healthy community,
Open Health Foundation Team
Open Health Foundation (Tax ID: 87-3789777) is the fundraising body for Open Health Care Clinic. 100% of contributions support Open Health Care Clinic's mission and programs and are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
You can help.
Suicide Prevention
Happening Now
We hate to think that anyone we know and love might have thoughts of suicide. But the reality is that it spares no group: moments of acute distress find people at all ages and stages of life, every ethnic group and social class, every level of education. Moments come in which otherwise healthy people feel overwhelmed, and have passive thoughts of dying. Most will recover, and the risk will abate. Some will not. Awareness helps, and with it, the impulse to be a healing presence. September is Suicide Prevention Month. Passive suicidal ideation happens when a person has vague thoughts of dying without an immediate plan to kill themselves.
Passive thoughts of suicide and parasuicidal behaviors can be ambiguous, but warrant attention. They may be present when someone engages in pointless risky behavior, abuses drugs, or becomes preoccupied with dark forms of entertainment, with themes of death and violence. What triggers passive suicidal ideation? Chronic pain, either physical or emotional, is a factor. Feeling vulnerable to abuse, feeling overlooked and unheard, abused, unfairly judged, feeling guilty, feeling stuck. Inability to feel pleasure. Passive suicidal ideation is vague: Others would be better off without me. I give up. I don’t care any more.
Vague thoughts of suicide can be a warning sign, and can evolve into active suicidality without dramatic behavior change. Self hatred is present in 25% of people with passive thoughts, but 60% of those with active thoughts of suicide. Human beings need to feel seen and valued, and to find a path to self forgiveness for past mistakes. We all have the capability of providing a moment of emotional support when it is needed. We may not be aware that we are also providing protection against suicidality.
Possible helpful response to vague suicidality: be present, here and now. You don’t have to have easy answers, or to say anything at all. In taking time to be present to another person, we are showing them that their presence matters, and perhaps they are not really as alone as they think. That is the basis of mindfulness meditation practices: we release thoughts of our troubles, and find safety and brief respite in the present moment. We can be that person who can be trusted, who will listen, who is open to seeing your value and reflecting it back. A cup of coffee in a quiet moment can be protective. Helping a person remember their connection to the community, no matter how damaged, is protective. Destigmatizing mental health services can be protective. In this season of uncertainty, let us be on the lookout for opportunities to be that healing presence.
Lynn Schlossberger, LPC
The Connection Between Online Safety and Mental Health: What Parents and Students Need to Know This School Year
Tanisha Winfrey, MSW, LCSW
Behavioral Health Counselor
As the new school year begins, it’s more important than ever for parents and children to understand the connection between internet safety and mental health. With 95% of teenagers and nearly 40% of children, ages eight to 12 using some form of social media, the digital world plays a major role in their daily lives.
While social media and online platforms can offer opportunities for learning and connection, they also come with serious risks, especially for young people who may be struggling emotionally. Children and teens facing mental health challenges may be more vulnerable to online dangers, including grooming, exploitation, and risky behavior. Without clear boundaries, they may overshare personal information or engage in inappropriate conversations without realizing the consequences.
Cyberbullying and online harassment are also major concerns, with links to low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Excessive gaming, while a source of entertainment, can spiral into addiction. This can lead to sleep problems, lower academic performance, and social withdrawal, all of which can further impact mental health.
Children and teens may also be exposed to violent, sexual, or self-harm-related content on social media platforms. This kind of exposure can desensitize them to harmful behaviors or normalize unhealthy coping mechanisms, further affecting their emotional wellbeing.
How Parents Can Support Safe and Healthy Online Habits
Here are some ways parents can promote a safer and more mentally healthy online environment:
Talk openly and often: Create a safe, judgment-free space where your child feels comfortable sharing their online experiences, especially if they’ve been targeted by bullying or come across disturbing content.
Educate and be understanding: Rather than banning technology, teach your child how to recognize online risks and navigate digital spaces responsibly. Discuss the importance of privacy, appropriate interactions, and why it’s okay to say no or block someone.
Monitor screen time and behavior: Keep an eye out for changes in mood, sleep, or academic performance, which could indicate a problem. Use parental controls when necessary but aim for transparency and collaboration rather than strict surveillance.
Encourage offline connections: Support friendships and activities that happen outside of screens. Positive, in-person interactions are essential for building emotional resilience and social skills.
Remind them that social media is curated: Help your child understand that most people only post the best parts of their lives online. Comparing themselves to these highlight reels can distort their self-image and lead to unrealistic expectations.
By fostering open communication, setting healthy boundaries, and being proactive about online safety and emotional wellbeing, families can help children develop the tools they need to thrive, both online and offline.
Tanisha Winfrey, MSW, LCSW
Behavioral Health Counselor
Coping with Politically
Induced Stress
By Lynn Schlossberger, LPC
Perhaps you’ve seen a cartoon by David Sipress that’s been circulating on social media. Two stressed people are walking down a city street, and one says to the other, “My desire to be well informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane”. Do you relate?
If so, you have a lot of company. 77% of Americans tell researchers that politics is a source of significant stress in their lives, and constant exposure to the news creates an environment of constant unease. The American Psychological Association has published findings that increasingly, people perceive political discussion as threatening, and feel powerless. Fear motivates us to engage in “doomscrolling” to monitor disturbing news. Suicidal ideation is up 5% this year. Welcome to Mental Health Awareness Month.
Political anxiety is different from Generalized Anxiety Disorder; it disrupts social cohesion, when political opponents are seen as intentionally threatening our wellbeing, and our confidence in the protections of the social order is faltering. It is different because political influencers deliberately trigger fear in their messaging, to cultivate emotional decision making. Generalized Anxiety responds well to self soothing behaviors. Political anxiety challenges our belief that the world is a safe place, and that opponents share our moral convictions. Trust is damaged. Influencers are suspect. Non-allies are demonized.
If we were talking about some other trigger of anxiety, like germs or interstate traffic, we would think about reducing our exposure, to mitigate our symptoms. But politics is part of the ocean in which we swim; we can avoid thinking about it, but disengagement comes at a cost. Loss of confidence in our ability to make things better is a recipe for depression. The challenge, then: how much stress can you tolerate, in the meantime?
When we feel stressed about the politically toxic environment, we often feel isolated. One helpful response is to focus on what you can control. Find a group that supports your convictions. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Take a small positive step. Find a supportive colleague, or a neighbor with whom you can find common cause. Drink coffee together. Know that your convictions matter, and being in community amplifies your voice.
Yes, do manage your exposure to political news. It’s ok to take a break and watch Food Network or cat videos. Be judicious. What kind of movies support your vulnerable self right now? Persistent anger is exhausting. Engagement in real world chaos doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There is a time for distraction and a time for engagement. Rinse. Repeat.
Be aware of untested thoughts that accompany political anxiety. Worst case scenarios are possible, but not inevitable. Test your anxious assumptions.
Cultivating empathy is critical, if trust is to be restored, and with it, a sense that the world is a hospitable place. When an influencer derides empathy, their motivations become suspect. Set good boundaries with people who use provocative language to express their views, and let them know when the boundaries have been violated. Remove yourself. Prioritize finding common humanity, and willingness to listen, so as to not miss an opportunity to cultivate empathy. We can disagree vehemently and respectfully. We can judge a viewpoint as dangerous or unwise, without judging the person holding it. We can be productively angry with a political faction, and notice moments of unexpected grace. We can find our voice, and cultivate our peace.
In times of great stress, we need clear vision, and we need one another. Namaste.
Lynn Schlossberger LPC
Open Health sponsors LASM FREE First Sunday on March 2
Open Health Care Clinic is sponsoring the Free First Sunday at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum on March 2, from 1 PM to 5 PM, featuring Dr. Rani Whitfield, "Tha Hip Hop Doc," for his 2nd Annual Reading & Rhythm event. In addition to free museum admission and a discounted $5 rate for unlimited Irene W. Pennington Planetarium shows, the event will offer a family-friendly celebration of literacy and music. Highlights include live storytelling, music performances, and interactive activities designed to engage and inspire young readers
"Suicide is a taboo subject. Nobody is eager to mention that they have had even a vague thought of ending their life, but those thoughts happen often. According to the CDC, 1.6 million Americans made a suicide attempt in 2022..."
"It is the second leading cause of death between ages 18-24, when being different is a burden, and bullying is overlooked."
"Depression is a major risk factor for suicide, and so is grief, at a time of bereavement, or divorce, or serious medical diagnosis, or job loss; but the behavioral health diagnosis associated with greatest risk of suicide is a chronic condition: Bipolar Disorder. By one estimate, a third of overdose deaths from Opioid addiction were unrecognized suicides...
"Suicidal thoughts are prevalent, but people conceal them. What can we do?"
"Grief is a heavy, complex emotion..."
"The rollercoaster of emotions, the moments of intense sadness followed by glimmers of hope - it's a lot to process. However, I've also seen firsthand that with the right support and coping strategies, it is possible to work through grief and emerge stronger on the other side.
Grief is often described as a journey, but I find the metaphor of navigating a landscape to be even more apt."
5 Stages of Grief
Healing from Grief in 4 steps
Cultivating Mental Health
By Lynn Schlossberger, LPC
May is a time of blossoming, a good time for Mental Health Awareness Month. The health of mind, body, and spirit can be easily overlooked, until something goes wrong and we get pain signals. Care of the whole person does not have to wait until we are distressed by symptoms of trouble, in the form of nightmares, shame, blame, substance abuse, insomnia, worry, or anger that erupts unexpectedly. We live in a stress-saturated world, and care of our emotional wellbeing really can’t wait.
Cultivating mental health is a form of preventative self care. Emotional wellness is a life strategy that helps us prepare for unforeseen stress, with calm confidence. Cultivating our emotional wellbeing requires us to learn coping skills that increase our resilience, our ability to respond with strength to change we didn’t ask for, and to adverse events; to bend, if need be, without breaking.
Emotional self care involves awakening to our needs. We are accustomed to functioning on autopilot, doing what we have always done, as if our routines were unchangeable. We pride ourselves on being constantly busy, multitasking while snacking compulsively, and medicating our stress in unproductive ways. The seeking of wellness, of flourishing rather than just getting by, invites us to stop and take a breath. When was the last time you made self care a thoughtful priority? In this noisy world, we may benefit from taking a break from constant chatter, by unplugging from social media for an hour or a day or a week. Could you do that? What actually nurtures you? Care of our own spirit often benefits from caring for the wellbeing of another person, by listening to them, by reconnecting with those who have gone missing, by volunteering in the community. Wellness may involve finding an activity in which you feel creative, productive, and challenged. It might be your job or your hobby, sudoku, or your passion for music or good food. Wellness involves mindful pursuit.
Mindfulness is a discipline that promotes wellness, by helping us become more aware of our immediate environment, our sensations, and our inner lives, awakening to the present moment, and cultivating self acceptance without judgment. Mindfulness has crept into the behavioral health literature and into our clinical practice. Mindfulness meditation practice has been shown to improve our ability to focus, and to reduce our rumination on the negatives of life. Mindfulness can help us observe ourselves more accurately, and express our emotions in healthier ways. Mindfulness promotes empathy for others, and helps us with the more difficult challenge, compassion for ourselves.
How do we incorporate mindfulness in our already overwhelmingly busy lives? By doing the things we already do, with purpose and curiosity, living fully in the present moment. We can breathe mindfully, noticing the body sensations we normally overlook. We can walk mindfully, putting down worries and digital distractions, and noticing the grass beneath our feet, the small details of the world we inhabit. We can eat mindfully, using our senses to more fully appreciate the aroma of coffee and the texture of pretzels. We can listen mindfully, offering our undivided attention, understanding the moment as a fragile gift. We can be present. Happy spring.
Lynn Schlossberger LPC
Mental Wellbeing in the Hottest Summer on Record
By Lynn Schlossberger, LPC
The world feels inhospitable when it’s 98 in the shade, and feels like 109. Extreme heat takes a toll on our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Care of the body requires planning: scheduling activities in the cooler part of the day; wearing light colors and fabrics that breathe, like cotton; drinking extra water. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin) treats extreme hot weather as a public health issue, and created Heat.gov as a resource. Care of the mind when the world feels like a sauna, takes extra care too. Extreme heat creates emotional hazards, including insomnia, fatigue, increases of depression and anger, and increased risk of both suicide and violence. The rate of inpatient admissions during a heat wave for people with behavioral health diagnoses, increases more than the average population. Their coping resources may be limited. Psych meds do wonders, but antidepressants and antipsychotics may have more side effects in extreme heat conditions, and may impair the body’s ability to regulate body temperature. People with Schizophrenia are at greatest risk.
Needless to say, the risk of heat related stress is greater for some populations than others. Lack of access to secure housing with air conditioning creates hardship. So does crowding, and living in densely built urban areas, surrounded with concrete and asphalt that stores and radiates heat. But it’s not just physical discomfort that undermines us, in the midst of a Louisiana summer for the record books.
Extreme weather is a result of climate change, and that phenomenon has increased our ambient anxiety. Researchers are finding growing “eco-anxiety,” which is a response of fear and hopelessness, to growing changes in our environment. Overheating of the Gulf puts us at risk of more severe hurricanes. That anxiety is completely rational. When we notice changes in the Louisiana coastline, we may experience “sostalgia,” a disrupted sense of safety caused by changes to the surroundings we call home.
Eco-anxiety is not in the DSM yet, but it is present in abundance. A Yale University study in 2020 found that half of respondents were anxious about the effects of climate change on their mental health. Care providers have some catching up to do; complaining about the heat is more than just superficial venting, and needs to be taken seriously. Environmental hazard is the context in which people present with depression and anger, and needs to be addressed, just as we address background stress from toxic relationships, stigma, and cultural bias. We need to listen. Gen Z, currently teens and 20-somethings, is particularly prone to eco-anxiety, because they worry about where this climate trajectory is leading. Eco-anxiety rarely comes up in therapy, because patients don’t know it’s valid.
We don’t have easy answers for how to respond to eco-anxiety. The American Psychological Association has some thoughts about how to manage it. They recommend getting educated, because accurate information about climate change is empowering. They suggest we focus on resilience, to cope with serious challenges to our wellbeing. Identify achievable goals. Find supportive relationships with people who share one’s core values, such as a desire to have a healthy planet to call home. Avoid isolation. Avoid maladaptive thinking, that any problem is “unsolvable”. Reconnect with nature, even if it’s hot hot hot out. And please, while you do that, stay hydrated.
Lynn Schlossberger LPC
Blog Post Submitted by: Dr. Jamie L. Barney, Vice President of Behavioral Health Services
When accessing safe and stable housing, people can focus on their health and healthcare. Persons who are housed are more likely to have health insurance, a primary health care provider, and have few admissions to emergency rooms. Their life expectancy increases, by some estimates, 27 years.
Open Health Care Clinic has provided housing services for over 25 years, since 1996. Shortly after the organization was established, it became clear that housing was one of the greatest needs in the community. I oversaw the management of the housing program for almost 5 years. My eyes were opened to the experiences of persons experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in a way that they have not been before.
Dr. Jamie L. Barney
A part of this role included visiting persons at the best place they could find shelter: abandoned businesses, abandoned homes, and wooded areas. One person showed me the shed that she slept in and the fan she used to try to keep the bugs from crawling on her throughout the night. Another person drove to our agency in the rental truck that she and her children slept in; and how they kept the gate slightly raised while they slept because of the heat. Another person showed me the abandoned business that she and her four-year-old son used for shelter. She showed me how she tried to cover the dirty mattress in the corner for him to sleep and the bucket they used for toileting.
Parents are forced to make decisions to allow children to be split up to live with other family members (if that is an option) or to remain with their parents in cars, wooded arears, or under overpasses.
Additionally, I fielded calls from persons who were pending eviction and had no where to go. No safety net, no parents or siblings that can help, no plan. Just desperation. I am a social worker and I did what I was trained to do. I listened. I provided information on any resources I could find. I did everything I could to explore the situation and try to find a solution for the short term or long term.
Several barriers come into play. There are not enough shelters for the number of persons who do not have housing. There are only a few emergency shelters in our community. One shelter prohibits boys over 6 years old and persons with certain medical diagnosis. Another shelter for pregnant mothers will not allow the mother to return after childbirth if she does not choose to put the baby up for adoption. Shelters also have time frames within which you must discharge, usually a few months.
The barriers to securing an apartment can be hefty. Credit checks, renting history, funds needed for the rental deposit and first month’s rent before you can move in, criminal background, and the rising cost of rent make it extremely difficult for some persons to secure their own housing.
Public housing options are some persons only hope of avoiding homelessness. Health centers, like Open Health Care Clinic, understand the unique barriers that these patients face and the trauma that they carry with them. We meet our patients where they are. We will assist them in enrolling in insurance plans. We will educate them on the importance of preventative medical care and walk them through the process. With an in-house pharmacy, we can fill prescriptions when patients come in. In addition to medical care, we provide oral health care, behavioral health care, case management, housing, and an array of other supportive services. A one stop shop removes barriers to accessing services.
We are committed to doing what we can to improve all of our patients’ health - without judgement. We show every person who enters our doors respect and provide high quality services. Many of our community members are facing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. These conditions do not diminish their worth as a person. Public housing is the only tangible option for some people. Staff work tirelessly to help where they can. Although it seems like it is never enough, the work that is done in public housing changes lives. Housing and healthcare go hand in hand.
Housing is healthcare.
Juneteenth By Dekeesha Levine:
What is Juneteenth?
On June 19th, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all slaves were freed. The arrival happened 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Texas was the last Confederate state where the proclamation was announced, and the first to recognize the date of June 19 – Juneteenth – statewide. This day honors the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth gets its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth," the day that Granger arrived in Galveston, bearing a message of freedom for the slaves there. On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth officially became a National Independence Day and a U.S. federal holiday. Juneteenth is considered the longest running African American Holiday in the United States.
What this Day Symbolizes:
Juneteenth symbolizes freedom for African Americans. A freedom that brought forth a new and brighter future. Even though Jim Crow laws made life unbearable for African Americans, we still were free. Free to live our lives and plan futures. To become educated, work for a wage, buy property, start families, and accumulate wealth. Because of Juneteenth people of color were now able to achieve what they wanted. If not for this day, there would be many setbacks for African Americans still to this day. Even though the world is not perfect, people of color are still striving for a better day. It is because of this freedom Juneteenth represents that we can thrive forward. This day marks a new beginning for African Americans as the fight for equality continues.
Why should every American want to Celebrate?
We celebrate Juneteenth not only because it was the end to slavery, but to also remember all those who did not live to see this day. We remember those who fought for this day and those who continue to advocate for equality. We celebrate Juneteenth to honor African American culture and to educate those who are not familiar with the significance of this day! Juneteenth is an opportunity to recognize the struggles we have gone through as people of color, the heights we have achieved, and the realization that we continue to be a work in progress, always striving together toward that beautiful vision of a nation that our Founders knew we could one day be.
Let's celebrate this Independence Day with food, joy, laughter, and love!!!!
Dekeesha Levine is a Case Manager at at Open Health Care Clinic
Mental Health Awareness Month is recognized in May but OHCC’s Behavioral Health Team is intentional about continuing those conversations about one’s mental health. The following blog was written by Lynn Schlossberger, LPC.
Stress is with us always, and for many people, emotional distress can quietly develop into something more challenging. Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to talk about it. In a normal year, 21% of Americans have symptoms of mental illness, and anxiety is the most commonly diagnosed problem. Prevalence is much higher for some groups: 47% for LGBTQ+ people, and 36% for people of mixed racial background. And this has not been a normal year.
Risk factors for developing problems with our mental health include worrying about money or about job security, experiencing violence, discrimination, or racism, chronic pain, and lacking a strong support system. After two years living with pandemic, we have all been at risk. People have difficulty reconnecting after a long period of isolation. Important life events had to be deferred: graduation ceremonies, celebrations, funerals - lost opportunities to strengthen our relationships at the milestone moments of our lives. Mental health providers report a sharp increase in the number of people with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse since Covid changed our world. Some of these challenges may be directly related to the pandemic, grief over a lost loved one, or the anxiety of not knowing when it is safe to take your mask off in an airplane or a classroom, or to attend a long-postponed party. Some of our loved ones may have refused vaccination, or disrespected our decision to receive them, leading to family strain. Some of our challenges may have existed long before Covid changed our lives, but we were able to sweep them under the rug. Relationships that were already troubled, may have fractured or become abusive. Alcohol or another drug may have already created problems we could explain away before we had to spend time alone, and now we can’t avoid facing them.
We may not know what is normal any more. But certain experiences continue to be a warning sign of possible mental health challenges, and a reason to accept help. Are you experiencing worries that just won’t go away? Are you feeling sad, hopeless, or down on yourself frequently? Having trouble focusing on your work? Are you avoiding contact with the people you normally enjoy, or struggling to find something to do when you are home alone? Drinking more? Using a street drug? Having nightmares? Please know that there is no shame in recognizing these experiences to be a hint of a problem. Doing so is the first step toward regaining control of your life, and finding peace.
Reaching out to a loved one can be a helpful first step toward self care, and that loved one might be your fur baby. Finding a positive activity you are willing to do, even if you are not in the mood, can interrupt the cycle of depression or anxiety. It might be a task you’ve postponed, like cleaning out the junk drawer, or it might be a video game or a puzzle. If the symptoms persist, it might be a good time to think about counseling. Counseling is a conversation with someone trained to listen, to recognize what is interfering with your quality of life, and work with you to make things better. In the meantime, if you need to talk, consider calling a 24 hour hotline. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at (800) 273-8255. Beginning in July, 2022, it will be updated to a new three digit code, available at all times, just like calling 411 for information. Keep it handy: when in emotional distress, call 988.
