Earlier this year, the Mental Health Association in Essex County ramped up its “sunshine call” program.
These calls, made by trained staff, go out to people struggling with depression and anxiety. Some might receive a call daily, others weekly.
“We’ve found that these calls are pretty beneficial,” said Doug Meyer, the association’s director of services. “We work with a lot of people who are very socially isolated. They stay in their apartments, and they’re depressed. If someone from an agency calls and asks how they’re doing, it’s a big deal. It’s a nice part of the day.”
The isolation and stress of the pandemic, combined with spiking cost-of-living and other pressures, has fueled an alarming rise in mental health issues in the Adirondacks, and providers are working hard to meet the surge in demand.
They’ve boosted programs for people in need, opened new facilities and launched new initiatives to better connect struggling individuals to resources such as counseling and stable housing.
Some projects are simple, like MHA’s push to increase sunshine calls, while others are much bigger undertakings, like the organization’s new crisis residence in Ticonderoga.
Initiatives to make North Country residents healthier and happier are also underway, with Essex and Clinton counties embarking on long-term efforts to build more resilient communities, where people are better positioned to rebound
