Strive for 5 Challenge issued for Ohio | #OHStrive5
MHARS Board partners with the Governor’s office and OhioMHAS to bring connection campaign to Ohio
On April 13, 2020, Governor Dewine and Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Criss issued a challenge to Ohioans: find 5 people in your life to check in with every day for 30 days. The Strive for Five Challenge helps us all feel connected, and can reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness as we navigate the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Our communities are full of caring people who want to help others manage stress, cope and thrive during this time, ” says Elaine Georgas, Interim Director, Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services (MHARS) Board of Lorain County. “We took the lead on bringing Strive for 5 to Ohio to give all residents a simple, uplifting way to connect, and protect each other’s well-being. Particularly for persons who are alone, in recovery or just uncertain, each of us reaching out to five people every day for the next 30 days will make us stronger and resilient.”
The challenge was originally developed in New York by the Coalition For Behavioral Health and NYAPRS.
“Our Board’s Communications and Community Relations Director, Clare Rosser, moved quickly to reach out to the partners at the New York Coalition for Behavioral Health to bring this to Lorain County and Ohio,” Georgas says. “We are proud to have the Governor and our State office’s backing on this, so that all Ohioans can benefit.”
Rosser notes that mental health and substance use agencies are essential and are still serving clients. In fact, many providers are still able to take new clients, if someone is experiencing a mental health or addiction concern for the first or a recurring time. She says that personal, daily connections like those encouraged by the Strive for 5 Challenge can provide another essential layer of protection for any person’s well-being.
“For the Strive for 5 Challenge, try to prioritize people who live alone and might be feeling even more isolated because of that, or people who cope daily with depression or anxiety, or who are in recovery from a substance use disorder. Also, think about those who have experienced a loss, like the loss of a job, relationship, loved one, or even a loss of routines that help them cope,” says Rosser. “Find your five. Connect with them every day. Those connections will boost your mental well-being, too.”
Read the OhioMHAS Press Release
See Director Criss’s video announcement of Strive for 5
Find social media images and information to share here: OHStrive5.org #OHStrive5
