Mental Health News

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with reporters Tom Shortell and Brittany Sweeney.

The Suicide Prevention Coalition of Lehigh County is starting its LOSS Team, which will serve as first responders to assist families caught in the immediate aftermath of a suicide.

DeSales University professor Elisabeth Felten is in her second year teaching non-traditional, special needs adults to give them a college experience.

An upcoming event in the Lehigh Valley aims to educate people about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. It’s a topic not often talked about that plagues a number of new parents.

A mental health summit at St. Luke's hosted healthcare workers, legislators, and community members. The panel addressed issues treating mental health problems and how to work towards fixing the crisis.

A suicide prevention bench was dedicated to Moravian University. Students lined up to participate in the unveiling.

Lehigh County officials determined the proposed legislation had more than a dozen problems, making it too problematic to present to Allentown voters. The bill would have dispatched an EMT and mental health professional to certain calls and prohibited other first responders from going.

Halloween and Christmas decorations are up early again this year. How are members of the community reacting?

Decluttering a home can help decrease stress and anxiety, according a Lehigh Valley psychologist and a professional organizer. Both say back to school time is usually when they see people wanting more organization.

A program that brings mindfulness to schools continues their efforts through summer. The Mindful Child Initiative serves more than 350 classrooms throughout the year and visits playgrounds throughout the summer.

Dr. Amy Jibilian is LVHN's new chief wellness officer. She will oversee the development of programs that promote a healthy work environment as well as help physicians avoid burnout.

The monthly Artists in Recovery Art Exhibit has seen a drop in attendance since the pandemic, but organizers hope to change that. The Bethlehem nonprofit offers mental health services.

Those who have served in the Lehigh Valley living with pulmonary fibrosis and other lung conditions now have a support group. It was created by the Wescoe Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis, an organization founded by Jennifer Wescoe in honor of her late father, Ron, who served as a marine.

The next two Wednesdays in June, Ott will be hosting "Breathe Easy" Lunchtime Plant Therapy workshops at A Little Bit of Local at ArtsWalk, 21 N. Seventh St. in Allentown.

The third annual Revolutions for Inclusion Bike Ride raises money for the Easter Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Center. A local father's memory lives on through the third annual fundraising event.

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, is the architect of a bill that would allocate $100 million of federal American Rescue Plan funding for mental health programs. It passed the House last week and is under state Senate consideration.

The smoke may be clearing, but anxiety from the eerie event may stick with us. A Lehigh Valley therapist has some ways to get past the uneasy feelings left behind after this week's smoke-filled skies.

Allentown school board is considering whether Raub Middle School would benefit from a $1.2 million grant where several community groups would work with at-risk middle school students over two years, under a proposed plan.

The bill, spearheaded by state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, would dedicate American Rescue Plan money to training mental health care providers, creating more suicide prevention programs and supporting specialty courts.

The 21st Century program is to help students with academic support and art and music enrichment.

Loneliness, isolation and social disconnect are a public health crisis in the United States. Brittany Sweeney hosts a community conversation to examine the factors that contribute to isolation — and what we can do to avoid it.

A housing facility for inmates with severe mental illness is now open in Northampton County. The Shiloh Restoration Center will have 8-beds and provide mental and behavioral health support.