Sweetser is offering myStrength — a free and confidential online wellness tool with activities that individuals and families can use to cope with the stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic.
myStrength Online Wellness Tool & Activities Courtesy of Sweetser
If Jenna Booth could have a conversation with her 12-year-old self she would have this to say: “Be unique. Embrace your differences. It is so important to love yourself. Self-love can make a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing. Your appearance doesn’t define who you truly are – it is what is on the inside that counts.”
Now at 16, she is starting her senior year at Cheverus High School and is passionate about bringing awareness to the importance of treatment for eating disorders, something that impacted her younger self.
Jenna created Truly Me as a way to share her story and connect with young women and men. She wants them to appreciate their uniqueness just as she learned to do and use that to battle fears and overcome hurdles. That is the driving force behind the name and the mission.
“There is only one you. Look at yourself in the mirror and to truly believe that you are uniquely enough, emotionally and physically, said Jenna. Her message has caught on with others her age who buy Truly Me bracelets and sweatshirts. But she has received a positive response from people of all ages.
It was vital that I surrounded myself with positivity. Having a strong independent support system built with family, friends, and an outpatient program helped make up the strong foundation I needed; to rebuild my self-esteem along with my physical and mental health. My hope is to create a safe, supportive, and structured environment for those who struggle with self-love.
Jenna will bring her message to a broader stage as she competes for Miss Maine Teen USA competition scheduled for November 2020.
If you’d like to support Jenna’s efforts and raise funds for Sweetser’s New England Eating Disorders (NEED) Program, visit her website at: https://trulyme1.my-free.website/
Sweetser Medical Director Marc Kaplan, DO, submitted a letter to the editor to the Portland Press Herald on behalf of Sweetser promoting the use of Telemedicine as a good fit for mental health services.
Even in the most challenging of times,
including now during a pandemic not experienced in a lifetime,
it does not go unnoticed how we treat others.
Sweetser values dignity, respect and compassion for all people.
Our caring and compassionate staff light the way
to hope and healing in the communities we serve.
Please take a moment of silence for all those who are oppressed, discriminated against, treated unjustly, treated inhumanely, psychologically and physically hurt and worse. Racism has risen to the surface of everything in our country and now is the time for shared responsibility in making our world truly better by ending discrimination in our country.
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” — Nelson Mandela, from his memoir titled Long Walk to Freedom
Sweetser stands with those peacefully protesting for racial justice in our country. We will challenge ourselves to seek to learn how we can better support the communities we serve. Our newspapers, airwaves, inboxes and social media feeds are filled with strong, passionate statements of solidarity – and ours is one more. Our voices are stronger when we gather them together. Let’s resolve to turn our words into actions of undoing racism and make our country a better place for ALL people to be.
As Sweetser has for its long history, we are here to care for those who have experienced trauma. Meeting the mission of our organization is a way we can be part of the healing that must take place. Now, more than ever, we must live up to Sweetser’s vision of helping people create promising futures.
Sweetser has been a part of the national Zero Suicide effort since 2013. In January 2020, Sweetser’s outcomes and efforts were recognized in an article on the Zero Suicide website.
New England Eating Disorders Medical Director Patrice Lockhart, MD, talked with future health professionals at the University of New England about treating eating disorders in a weight-based world.
During Mental Health Month in May, Sweetser has partnered with Lee and Amanda Prior, the owners of 10 Domino’s Pizza stores in Maine, to deliver a special message: that support is available in these challenging times. Through the delivery of thousands of flyers on pizza boxes, the community mental health provider invites individuals and families to try the free and confidential online wellness tool, myStrength.
“This self-help site is a great resource and complement to the clinical work we are doing to help improve the overall health and wellbeing for people in communities we serve,” said Sweetser Medical Director Marc Kaplan, DO. “myStrength supports the whole person: mind, body and spirit.”
Other 24/7 support is available for Maine residents: the Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112; and the Intentional Warm Line at 1-866-771-9276.
myStrength has online exercises to help cope with daily challenges including during COVID-19. Check out the links below, or visit sweetser.org:
Staying Connected While Social Distancing
Managing Time at Home with the Kids
Parenting in Challenging Times
Keeping Your Relationship Strong
Changing Plans and Handling Disappointment
Sweetser is a nonprofit community mental health provider with a statewide network of care for mental and behavioral health, developmental, and educational support for children, families and adults. The organization is the mobile crisis services provider in more than half of the counties in Maine. Visit sweetser.org for more information.
Domino’s stores owned by Lee and Amanda Prior include: 496 Stillwater Ave., Old Town; 6 Clinton St., Bangor; 42 Elm St., Waterville; 220 Park St, Rockland; 974 Main St., Sanford; 621 Main St, Gorham; 58 Ossipee Trail, Standish; 14 Heathwood Dr, Windham; 379 Main St., Presque Isle; and 127 North St, Houlton.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Intentional Warm Line has increased staff statewide by 60% to support all residents of Maine. It’s more important than ever to connect those in recovery from mental illness with the support they need. Staffed 24/7 – peer to peer phone support is available for adults by calling toll-free from anywhere in Maine at 1-866-771-9276 (WARM).
Beginning in April 2020, Sweetser and the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention began running ads promoting help for those who need it. One ad promotes the Maine Crisis Line and the Suicide Safer Care Training Portal, and the other promotes the Maine Crisis Line and the Intentional Warm Line.
Maine Crisis Line 24/7: 1-888-568-1112
Intentional Warm Line 24/7: 1-866-771-9276
Suicide Safer Care Training Portal
The York Health Newsletter has resources for the York area, including Sweetser, as well as general tips.