Jewish Family Services provides Richmond’s highest quality Care, Counseling and Adoption services. One way we ensure all JFS services do not simply meet, but exceed, industry standards is through our accreditation by the Counsel on Accreditation (COA). COA is an independent organization, separate from the government, that ensures all of our programs and services […]
Thanksgiving Card Project
Today Joaquin Torres of Mr. Christopher Kresge’s class at Echo Lake Elementary presented JFS with a set of festive handmade greeting cards for the annual Evens Fund Thanksgiving gift card project. This project is done in conjunction with donations from the Evens Food Fund via the Richmond Jewish Federation. The funds are used to buy […]
JFS Welcomes Anna Cameron, LCSW
Jewish Family Services is proud to announce our newest counseling clinician, Anna Cameron. Anna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holds a certificate in early childhood education from VCU. Anna comes to JFS with 13 years of clinical experience and 11 years of program management. Anna has experience addressing issues with abuse and […]
New research gives hope for those battling mental health issues
Over the past decade mental illness has become less stigmatized and now most of us know at least one person who has struggled with a mental illness. For some time, epidemiologists have known that at any given point roughly 20 to 25 percent of the population suffers from a mental disorder. A recent long-term study […]
How to Boost Your Resilience Midlife
Building resilience is an important thing to teach early in life, and it is just as important to practice midlife. Scientists who study stress and resilience say it’s important to think of resilience as an emotional muscle that can be strengthened at any time. Dr. Dennis Charney, co-author of the book “Resilience: The Science of […]
Depression at any Age
A Stubborn, Persistent Stigma Surround Depression, Creating Barriers to Care Depression is a devastating mental illness that can affect someone at any stage of life. A recent article by Jo Anne Sirey highlights the continued stigma that surrounds depression as a major barrier to seeking treatment. Sirey states, “Once depression is detected, older adults face […]
Mental Health and Exercise
The mind and the body are inexplicably linked; a person’s state of mind affects the functionality of their body and issues of the body impacts a person’s mental function. On The Wagon’s Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health and Exercise explain the importance of taking care of the body and mind. Mental Health And Exercise: A […]
Loneliness and Isolation: A New Epidemic Among Elders
Anyone can feel lonely—even people who are surrounded by family. Asim Shah, MD, professor and vice chair for community psychiatry in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, defines loneliness as an emotion that strikes when someone feels socially isolated. That feeling can set in within a marriage, at […]
Navigating Troubled Waters
Ellen Glass was shocked when she and her husband sought counseling early in their marriage and she discovered she wasn’t the only one with frustrations. “I walked in with a mental list of all the things that my husband needed to change,” says Glass, a licensed clinical social worker at Jewish Family Services. She was […]
Nature is Vital for Mental Health
Walk away the blues! Study links walking in nature is beneficial to your mental health by decreasing rumination and withdrawal. Urbanization has many benefits, but it also is associated with increased levels of mental illness, including depression. It has been suggested that decreased nature experience may help to explain the link between urbanization and mental […]