After nearly a year of unemployment, Jessica Ransom, 39, wasn’t lacking drive, she was lacking access. Until she found the Individual Placement and Support program at Memorial Behavioral Health. The Springfield resident had spent months applying for jobs, but the…
The excitement for Halloween starts building early for most kids – costumes, candy and goosebumps. But for children with anxiety or sensory processing issues, Halloween presents a unique challenge for parents. Leaha Jones, LCPC, and manager of Mobile Crisis Response…
Losing someone to suicide is a devastating experience that affects families and entire communities. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, particularly among young people. The statistics paint a sobering picture: in 2023, nearly…
Millions of Americans struggle with suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation. This can include thoughts of wanting to be dead or thoughts of wanting to kill yourself. Anyone can experience thoughts of suicide, and it does not always result in a…
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, and there are an estimated 1.5 million suicide attempts yearly. But suicide is preventable. World Suicide Prevention Day, on Thursday, Sept. 10, helps raise awareness by talking about…
Back-to-school transitions can cause stress for your kids as they anticipate big changes from the summer schedule to a school routine. For most students of all ages, there can be a mix of excitement and anxiety about reuniting with friends…
Families experiencing stressful situations or challenging emotions now have a new tool to check out from their local public library: a mental health kit. The kits are part of a regional community health initiative that will eventually expand to additional…
Holding the door open a second longer for the person behind you, admiring a stranger’s outfit, sending a text to a friend you haven’t heard from in a bit – these are all easy ways to show kindness that take…
Long hours, market conditions and unpredictable weather can create stress for farmers and their families across central Illinois. “Farm life can be very rewarding, but it can also be very stressful, especially at times like planting and harvest,” said Kenny…
Do you know the warning signs for suicide? Suicide is death caused by self-inflicted injury with the intent to die, and it is the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Foundation for Suicide…