Sunday May 12 is National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day! The Sophie Fund joins the Tompkins County Suicide Prevention Coalition in saluting and celebrating our local mental health workforce.
“Thank You” poster @ East Seneca & North Tioga bus shelter
In a small token of appreciation, the coalition has placed “Thank You” posters at two bus shelters in Ithaca—at East Seneca Street & North Tioga Street, and at Cayuga Medical Center. The coalition has also placed public service announcement messages on two Ithaca radio stations throughout the month of May—Lite Rock 97.3 and Rewind 107.7.
“Appreciation” poster @ Cayuga Medical Center bus shelter
We show our appreciation for mental health providers who toil to help us address our mental health issues and enable us to lead happier and healthier lives.
At times, the clinicians, social workers, peer specialists, and others in the field sacrifice their own mental well-being in the service of our community’s health and wellness.
If you know a mental health provider, or are personally supported by one, consider reaching out to them on National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day (and other times, too!) to express your appreciation. Even better, bake them some cookies or cupcakes, or invite them to share a meal. Small acts of kindness go a long way!
“Better Together for Mental Health,” a free community-wide celebration, is back for its second iteration this year on Saturday May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ithaca’s Stewart Park.
Alan Rose and the Restless Elements
This event, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, is a fun day of activities for all ages. Attendees can enjoy live music, dance, wellness workshops, face-painting and carousel rides for kids, indulge in free street food and ice cream, and much more.
Stewart Park will be abuzz with community organizations, mental health providers, instructors, and entertainers, in a vibrant atmosphere for learning, laughter, and connection.
“The turn-out last year for our inaugural event was incredible, and we are so pleased to bring this event back again for our community,” said Jaydyn McCune, co-chair of the planning committee.
“This event highlights things we can all do on a daily basis to help keep ourselves and others mentally healthy. We encourage everyone to come out and join us to celebrate wellness. Let’s make mental health a collective priority, because we are truly ‘Better Together.’”
The event kicks off at the Large Pavilion with a public proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month from City of Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo. New York State Senator Lea Webb and Assemblymember Anna Kelles will give opening remarks.
Cantata Singers
Alan Rose and the Restless Elements get the beats started with a musical tribute, “The Better Together Song.” Other featured performers include Mandy Goldman, Penelope Voss, Joe Gibson and Dan Collins, the Cantana Singers, Rose Alaimo and Stan Stewart, GIAC Jumpers, and Crossroads the Clown.
The Small Pavilion is the venue for wellness workshops on meditation, life-coaching, choral singing, conflict management, and life balance.
A special tent space in the park will host interactive activities, including story time for children, yoga, sound therapy, meditation, and a singing circle.
Luna Inspired Street Food, Yxi’s Arepas & the Chef Gordito, Meg A Moo’s Ice Cream, and Purity Ice Cream Co. will be providing free eats for attendees.
Dan Collins and Joe Gibson
Representatives from over 30 community organizations will spread out along the walking path of the park, to share information about their programs as well as provide wellness-based activities, such as arts and crafts and lawn games.
Better Together is organized by more than 15 local organizations and dozens of artists, musicians, mental health practitioners, and volunteers.
This year’s event is sponsored by Cayuga Health, CFCU Community Credit Union, Guthrie, True Insurance; funded in partnership by Friends of Greg, The Sophie Fund, Northwestern Mutual, Sciarabba Walker & Co.; and supported by the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, Duthie Orthodontics, Health & Unity for Greg, Tompkins Community Bank, and McCutcheon, Patel, Livermore & Associates DDS. In-kind donations are provided by Wegmans, Gimme! Coffee and Ithaca Coffee Co.; along with personal donations from Carla and Steve Fontana, Gene Yarussi, and numerous others.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which inspires us to reflect on our own well-being and to check in on loved ones and friends. It’s also a chance for all of us to help fight the stigma around mental illness and appreciate our local mental health work force. Check out what’s happening in the greater Ithaca community this month!
NAMIWalks
On Saturday May 4, the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness hosts its NAMIWalks fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stewart Park. You can do a one-mile walk or a fun 5K run. Other activities: face painting, food, live music, yoga, giveaways, local mental health information tables, free hugs, Be Kind, memory wall, passport scavenger hunt, and more.
The event raises awareness about mental health and collects funds for NAMI Finger Lakes. The organization provides support for families and friends of people diagnosed with major mental illnesses, educates about mental health conditions, and advocates for families and their loved ones.
Celebrate mental health at the Better Together fair at Stewart Park on May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s a fun day of FREE live music, dance, juggling performances, well-being workshops, yoga, and free street food. Check out the information tables staffed by more than a dozen local mental health providers.
Better Together for Mental Health is a collaboration of community organizations coming together to share the message of community investment in mental health and wellness.
Mental Health America provides a wealth of information and materials to help individuals, organizations, schools, and businesses participate in Mental Health Awareness Month.
MHA’s 2024 theme is “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World.” Its toolkit includes social media graphics; sample email texts, articles, and proclamations; and a host of mental health resources, coping skills, and worksheets to help navigate the challenges of living in the world today.
Mental Health America is the parent organization of the Mental Health Association in Tompkins County. Click here to check them out.
Tompkins County Mental Health Support and Crisis Services
Take the time to know what mental health support resources are available if you live in Tompkins County. Resources are helpful to those experiencing mental health disorders, as well as to their families and friends. If you are at all concerned about your mental health, or about a loved one or someone you know, stay educated about mental health and how to get help. You may even save a life.
Some 350 participants trekked a collective total of 361 miles in the rain and raised $20,545.34 on April 14 in the second annual Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention on the Cornell University campus. The organizers surpassed their $20,000 goal and nearly doubled the $11,692.32 collected during the first-ever Cornell walk in 2023.
Cornellians walking to prevent suicide
Donning Big Red caps and brimming with smiles under skies that alternated between sunny and rainy, packs of students including Cornell athletes and fraternity brothers traveled the two-mile route from Barton Hall to Feeney Way, along Tower Road, and then Campus Road back to the starting point.
“You are making a difference,” said walk organizer Cheyanne Scholl, addressing the participants inside Barton Hall. “By showing up today, you are sending the message that mental health is as real as physical health. You are sending the message that reaching out for help is the strong thing to do. You are showing others that the issue of suicide cannot and will not be kept in the darkness. And thanks to you, we remain hopeful.”
Among the participants in this year’s Cornell walk were 18 fundraising teams, with Claire’s Colony bringing in the most funds, $5,001.52. Other top teams included Cornell HR, The Statler Hotel, Cornell Athletics, and Taylor Strong. Jennie Toal was the top individual fundraiser, followed by Jessica Cunningham, Scott Lyerla, Michelle Artibee, and Christine Lovely.
Almost 600 Out of the Darkness walks are held across the United States each year by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to raise awareness, collect research funds, and send a message that “suicide is preventable and no one is alone.” In 2023, Overnight, Community, and Campus walks raised more than $27.8 million.
In her remarks, Scholl, who led an organizing team consisting of students, staff, faculty, and members of the AFSP Greater Central New York chapter, spoke of experiencing tremendous grief after a close high school friend took their own life just five months after graduation.
Walk organizer Cheyanne Scholl
“I fell apart for months after Jack’s death. I was functioning on the outside, but hollow on the inside,” she said. Then Jack’s mother invited Scholl to take part in an Out of the Darkness Walk, which inspired her to organize a walk at her own university. She spearheaded the first walk at Cornell after moving to Ithaca in 2023.
“This event changed my life,” Scholl explained. “I had never been in a space where mental health was spoken about so openly. Where it was allowed and encouraged to talk about loss and grief. Having mental health coalitions, groups, and other resources in one place where I could approach them and be honest with myself about how much I needed them was huge.”
Another speaker was Tiffany Bloss, executive director of the Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service (SPCS), which is a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call center and also provides training and community education.
Bloss said she experienced suicide as a small child when a 13-year-old cousin took their own life. She would then confront the issue even more directly as her young son experienced mental health crises.
“My son is who fueled me to get involved with this mission on a bigger scale. As a mom, I wanted to know more, I wanted to educate others, I wanted people to talk about suicide,” she said.
Upon joining SPCS in 2022, Bloss expanded the 55-year-old organization’s reach by operating 24/7 and covering 17 counties in Upstate New York. The volume of calls, texts, and chats increased from 6,339 in 2022 to 16,793 connections in 2023 to already 8,742 through mid-April this year.
“We are here, day or night. Call. Text. Website chat. Individuals can even email our helpline. We are here,” Bloss said.
Tiffany Bloss, executive director of the Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County
According to Bloss, SPCS crisis line counselors go through more than 280 hours of training before they independently take calls.
“This is incredibly important work, and we want to ensure that they have the tools needed to engage in these really tough conversations. Individuals who reach out are in a really vulnerable space in their lives. Individuals identify crisis in their own way, and we allow for that. We listen to their story. Their experience. We support their emotions, and we talk them through options by validating what they have been though and working on a plan to stay safe,” she said.
Bloss said that SPCS offers free opportunities for the public to learn about crisis intervention, ranging from a 45-minute virtual experience to a full two-day workshop. In 2023, SPCS conducted trainings with 228 individuals to help the community become suicide-safer.
Sonia Rucker, associate vice president for Cornell’s Department of Inclusion and Belonging and a Presidential Advisor for Diversity and Equity, shared how she was shaken last year by the shock suicide death of a close friend of 20 years.
Though trained as a social worker and having worked on teams dealing with college students in crisis, Rucker said she could not believe that her friend would take her own life. “Not only did I think that things like that only happened to other people, I had another huge blind spot,” she explained.
Over the years, she and her friend often championed how black women have survived the worst aspects of their history by being strong. Rucker said that her friend’s death made her realize the importance of allowing vulnerability and reaching out for help.
Sonia Rucker, associate vice president for Cornell’s Department of Inclusion and Belonging
“We believed that being strong was more important than anything else. We could take more than anyone else. More criticism, more disappointment, more pain, more racism, more sexism. No one could break us. We spent so much time talking about how strong we were, we avoided talking about when we were hurt. We were so good at being strong we forgot to be vulnerable. We forgot to be human,” she said.
“Sometimes we needed to reach out to each other and say, ‘I can’t do this alone. I need help. I need your support. I feel broken, I don’t feel like I can do this anymore, and I can’t continue to hide it.’ Through the loss of my special friend, I discovered that I needed to redefine what it meant to be strong. I discovered my real strength is knowing when to ask for help,” Rucker said.
Cornellians left messages on the “Why We Walk” wall:
For Yiannis
Speak up you will be listened to
To honor lives lived & lost to honor those who mourn
All veterinary professionals—students, assistants, doctors, faculty, techs, animal lovers
You are loved
To my friend!
I am walking for my Dad
For my Uncle Tim
Your life matters
Be Kind
I am walking for Jason Parente
You are never alone
Walking for “You”
Because it does get better!
You matter
I’m walking for anyone who feels alone
Dear Sweet Sister Linda, You’ll always be in my heart, and I’ll always be your kid sista!
Before the walk, an opening ceremony to honor those lost to suicide and their survivors
Walkin’ in the Rain
The Long and Winding Road
Cornell men’s soccer team
Alpha Gamma Rho members
National Alliance on Mental Illness—Finger Lakes
Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County
Cheyanne Scholl, Touchdown the Big Red Bear, and AFSP Area Director Karen Heisig
Be Kind Ithaca & Free Hugs Ithaca
Heartfelt messages of support
Thank you, mental health workforce!
Cornell University in the light
If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
I’ve struggled with serious mental health issues for at least half my life. From age 19 to 22, I was hospitalized on seven different occasions. Thankfully, it has now been eight years since my last time. Others are not as fortunate, perpetually caught in the system, returning to institutionalized care on a regular basis.
The PROS team at Tompkins County Whole Health
How did I escape this cycle? Through the resolve, discipline and strength to cultivate healthy habits, take medication, push the boundaries in therapy, and secure the assistance of friends and family.
Yet despite these steps, I recently came upon a roadblock, nebulous as it was frustrating. I fruitlessly spent time and energy, self-analyzing, to discover that next rung. Though I didn’t recognize it at the time, I was trying to think things away. In retrospect, I was focusing inward too much, whereas this phase of my recovery required an outward focus. My angst was a product of a small social circle. I judged others too much, alone, unaware of the humility I needed to progress, subconsciously believing the fallacy that I was the only one. I hadn’t respected the power of group psychological interventions.
The Personal Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) group therapy program is operated by Tompkins County Whole Health. It describes itself as a comprehensive program for adults with severe and persistent mental illness. It was first suggested to me by my psychiatrist. At the time, despite devotion to medication and therapy, I was just clinging to sanity, triggered 10 times per day, no way to live. Despondent, I handed the reins to my doctor, a major act of trust, letting him prescribe the proper amount of medication. Save in the case of court order, emergency, or inpatient settings, doctors rarely mandate a given dosage. A few months later, I felt ready to enroll in PROS. I was skeptical, as my past experience with group therapy was okay, if impersonal, but not groundbreaking. PROS would set the new standard.
I first was interviewed one-on-one by the director, Heather, to evaluate my stability. She proved to be an energetic, sharp, and devoted figure. I did my best to pour my heart out. On the walk home that day, I vividly recall feeling centered, which I’d been alien to for so many years. Next was PROS orientation with Amy. Despite experiencing terrible stress in the waiting area, I persisted. About five of us gathered in a cozy room, were given packets, and tuned in as Amy softly described the program.
The schedule detailed a plethora of unique classes, each 45 minutes in length, operating from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., five days a week. Amy explained that each class offers 15 weeks of new material, after which the semester ends, and the next 15-week schedule begins.
After orientation, I felt comfort, release, acceptance. There were subliminal but powerful themes of empathy, self-determination, and above all, hope. It was enough to invite me back. I had two months to try out PROS classes before officially deciding to stay in the program or not.
The next morning, I walked to PROS. Those first several weeks proved strenuous. My anxiety was astronomically high. For all intents and purposes, I felt like I was venturing into the lion’s den. My persistence was fed by the spirit of the interview and orientation, holding fast despite my insecurities, swiftly extending trust to a system such as I hadn’t for many years, being treated like a human.
To my delight, the groups offered the same sense of care I had felt in the interview and orientation. Group leaders, decidedly humanist, were gentle friends rather than rigorous teachers. In groups, participants are invited to voice their struggles not by demand, or even request, but by their own comfort. Declining to do so is perfectly fine. Demands are few and far between. Similarly, simply being in a group is 80 percent of the work. If you can’t be there physically, you can tune in via Zoom.
The session begins when a facilitator introduces a topic, such as general life philosophy, reframing situations through Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), or eating and weight. Most groups are structured, in which members can raise their hands at any time to comment or question, cathartically or more formally. On the other hand, some groups are very casual, such as the one preparing the day’s lunch, while others are highly organized, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). The sessions can involve a continuous conversation, or allow mostly quiet time for people to finish a prompt. Most form their own organic course. The range of topics, styles, and facilitators ensures that very little subject matter becomes stale.
For the first few months, I committed to one group three days per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I would then eat free lunch with clients and various staff members. Lunch is eaten in The Pyramid Room, an open, highly fenestrated, chill atmosphere with different lounging options, a long table, a kitchen, and plenty of space to house over 50 people. The food is high quality, including plant-based options. Most is donated by local, acclaimed restaurants. Participants are furthermore invited to take food home. Outside of lunch proper, scones, French pastries, bagels, and strong coffee are available on demand. You eat as much as you like, just as you socialize according to your preference. The $60 per month fee that I pay to participate in the PROS program would be an exceptional value if it only covered the lunches but I am receiving much more than that.
My horizons expanded. Something began to make sense. Slowly, it dawned upon me that this is the hard work, where the magic happens, and that I was finally progressing again. This is reinforced, every day, with the spiritual ethic that true recovery is in the daily grind. It took some weeks for me to calm down, but I did, forming bonds reminiscent of what life was like before being sick.
My hypervigilance and anxiety were finally granted slack, replacing paranoia with openness. This facilitated connection with and value of others. Soon, once a staunch anti-conformist, I began to learn how to truly care for others. I gave more. I was developing healthy and fulfilling relationships. Even if I am not close to someone, I still greet them, make small talk, and practice listening. Informal interactions on all levels matter! I was once deathly afraid of socializing. Now, I value it deeply, a pleasure long forgotten, recovering what I thought was gone. I believe: hopeful, grateful, and importantly, humble. No more danger.
I don’t know how PROS works as well as it does, but does that really matter? Maybe it richly simulates for those with mental illness what healthy people tend to take for granted. It’s another fair chance at life. For those who’ve regularly participated in the PROS program for some time, the benefits are obvious. It hurts to see many non-PROS people in the building visibly downcast and defeated, afraid of life. I used to be that person. Now, I hold my head high, but not too high. The program is empathetic, intimate, and liberal at root. It’s most of the time a very safe space, such that stigma in society fails to afford us.
As I experience it, PROS is a program for those dealing with a serious mental illness who want to pursue recovery. It is worth it. The worst has already happened.
—By Ben Komor
Ben Komor is a certified peer specialist and has served as an advisor to the Tompkins County Crisis Negotiation Team. He is a graduate of Ithaca High School, and holds a BA in Human Development and an MS in Health.
For more information about PROS, click here to go to the PROS website, or call PROS at (607) 274 6200.
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