‘The impact of the loss of human touch’: Philly-area suicide hotlines see an increase in calls related to corona virus

April 15, 2020 When Gov. Tom Wolf issued a stay-at-home order for Philadelphia-area residents on March 23, Julie Peticca braced herself for a deluge of calls to the Montgomery County suicide prevention hotline. Peticca, the director of crisis intervention at Montgomery County Emergency Service Inc., knew that isolation could exacerbate mental health issues, especially for […]

DBHIDS Public Statement on COVID-19 and the Asian Community

March 30, 2020 COVID-19 is a national public health threat to all people of every community, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or language capability. There have been reports nationally of individuals of Asian descent being targets of harassment because the virus is believed to have originated in China. The mission of the Department […]

How to take care of your mental health during the corona virus outbreak

Phila.gov    March 22, 2020 Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka, Chief Medical Officer, City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) These are stressful and uncertain times. The evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic is very sudden and can be confusing. This may provoke anxiety for many people. Those with pre-existing anxiety and other mental health […]

Mental health and addiction services remain open in Philadelphia amid corona virus restrictions

Philly Voice    March 18, 2020 Mental health and addiction services are still available for people who need them as the Philadelphia region combats the coronavirus pandemic. But they are operating with some minor adjustments. Some clinicians and programs, including Alcoholics Anonymous, have moved their services online as they employ the social distancing practices encouraged by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom […]

New Philly work program offers alternative to panhandling

WHYY    February 10, 2020 Early morning lines are not uncommon in Kensington. Some are for hot breakfast. Others snake around the corner of a treatment center. This line is for work. It was just after 7 a.m. and almost 40 people were lined up outside Rock Ministries on Kensington Avenue. Some chatted quietly, while others pulled […]

Coming Home: Telling reentry stories through hip-hop and comedy

WHYY.org    November 15, 2019 Will Little walked on stage wearing an orange jumpsuit, hands held behind his back, head faced down. As he told his story of life in and out of prison, he unzipped, revealing another layer of clothes underneath the orange. “I did 10 years in the penitentiary. Anger, frustration, hurt, pain, guilt, then […]

Cedar Park: Library Hosts Discussion on Suicide Prevention in the LGBTQ+ Community

PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com    November 15, 2019 At the Walnut West branch of the Free Library, several stereotypes were addressed as a crowd of just over a dozen people gathered to discuss the importance of mental health issues in the LGBTQ community, including the increased risk of suicide. The session promoted collaboration between those in attendance and the presenters. […]

Homes are the best medicine | Editorial

Philadelphia Inquirer    October 21, 2019 Philadelphia’s own Sister Mary Scullion, who knows as much about fighting homelessness as anyone, wasn’t surprised by a recent finding that 76% of people living on the street in Los Angeles also live with serious mental illness, addiction, or other conditions. Scullion, the cofounder of Philly’s Project HOME, estimates that about 90% of the 1,000 […]

Suicide Prevention Week on Good Day Philadelphia

Fox 29    September 20, 2019 DBHIDS’ Andrea October, Clinical Project Manager for Health Promotions, appeared on Fox 29’s “Good Day Philadelphia” during Suicide Prevention Week to discuss the importance of self-care for those “doing the counseling” in the wake of the widely reported suicide of Penn’s director of counseling. Click to view the report and interview.

Basketball league for homeless Phildalephians is helping many win on and off the court

KYW Newsradio    September 2, 2019 A unique basketball league is reaching out to homeless residents in Philadelphia to help them make life changing plays off the court, making a lot of progress in just a few months. “I just wanted to get to do a little exercise, lose some weight, and just have fun. That’s all […]