Ohio emerges as a leader in supporting mental health

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health has emerged as one of America’s most important issues, hitting young people especially hard.

While much attention has been drawn to this growing problem around the country, there is still a large gap between this increased awareness and meaningful solutions. To be sure, many states have taken some action to tackle what is being called a “youth mental health crisis,” but much work is still needed to support our young people.

However, a shining light in the nation’s efforts to address mental illness can be found right here in our home state.

In the past several years, Ohio has emerged as a leader in allocating resources and building infrastructure to support mental health, from funding research and crisis care, to expanding treatment and counseling services.

Gov. Mike Dewine has made mental health a top priority, expressing that “we must not accept that mental illness and addiction are inevitable.”

This year’s state budget allocated over $2.5 billion to mental health programs, with $46 million set aside to fund the new “9-8-8” suicide and crisis hotline, transforming what was once an easily forgettable 1-800 number into a 24-hour accessible lifeline for those in need.

This is truly remarkable work to address this timely and important issue.

Jewish tradition has much to teach about caring for those facing mental health challenges.

Today we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.

This holiday celebrates the birthday of the world as well as the creation of mankind. It contains a profound message about man’s inherent responsibility to care for others, especially those struggling with mental health.

Reflecting on the creation story from the book of Genesis, the Jewish sages ask: Why did G-d choose to create Adam and Eve alone when all the other creatures were created in pairs or groups? The answer, given in the Talmud, is that G-d wanted to ensure that no human would feel superior or inferior to any other.

Nothing can make one person better or worse than anyone else, as we all share the same ancestors.

This belief that everyone deep down is truly the same – regardless of their background or mental health situation – motivates my work as a rabbi and as a mental health advocate.

For over 23 years, my work with Friendship Circle and Lifetown Columbus has centered around providing support and community for young people with special needs and disabilities. As the issue of youth mental health has grown in importance, we’ve expanded our programming to include emotional resilience, suicide risk awareness and removing the shame surrounding mental health for young people of all ability levels.

Several of the lessons we teach about mental and emotional resiliency are included in a new book, to launch this Thursday at Lifetown Columbus’ annual gathering. Titled The Art of Being You, it contains 50 easy-to-understand lessons and tips to teach people how to discover their inner strength, learn how to ask for help, and cultivate gratitude.

The book is a brainchild of Jeffrey

Schottenstein, who founded Ohio State University’s Program for Resiliency, a state-of-the-art program to help OSU students struggling with mental health.

He also is the founder of Kitchen of Life, a program which empowers thousands of Columbus area teenagers with resiliency skills through the medium of master-chef style cooking projects. The work of activists like Jeffrey and his wife Ariella, as well as organizations like the ADAMH Board of Franklin County are sowing the seeds for a positive future in our state and the rest of the country.

As we approach the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we take stock of how we can better care for those who cannot always take care of themselves, building on the tremendous foundation that our state has laid.

We should all make a new year’s resolution to help our brothers and sisters who are struggling, and to put aside any stigma associated with asking for help.

More broadly speaking, we need to accept people for who they are, and do our best to treat everyone, regardless of their mental health state or belief system, with dignity and respect. During the High Holidays, each of us stands equal before G-d, and as a collective, we stand stronger together than as any one individual.

Rabbi Kaltmann is the director of Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center of Columbus and director of Lifetown Columbus. For more information visit www.lifetowncolumbus.org