On Feb. 17, Social Worker Jaclyn Tureff came to the Spanish River Library and gave an informative presentation on mental health. She spoke on behalf of the Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services.
Jewish Family Services is a nonprofit organization that serves Boca Raton and Delray Beach. They provide different social services for these communities such as: food assistance, career services, and senior care programs. Jaclyn Tureff is a licensed social worker, who is part of Jewish Family Services in their Mental Health program.
In her presentation she gave an overview of different mental health disorders, such as: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and addiction. She also gave different statistics on mental health. These were surprising to some audience members, for example 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness.
The intimate audience of about 17 people were able to ask questions throughout the presentation. One particular topic that the audience was interested in was Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These disorders are diagnosed in children as young as 7.
Some audience members debated whether these disorders are over diagnosed and whether they can be outgrown. Tureff gave some insight on this topic from her personal experience, her specialty is working with children.
Tureff’s goal with this type of presentation is to educate members of the Boca Raton community. This education will help those with mental illnesses become better understood by their peers, therefore avoiding the stigma they so often face in society.
Tureff wanted to leave the audience with the message that there are simple ways to help those in the community struggling with mental illness. One can listen to them and let them express their challenging emotions, offer help with daily tasks they might find difficult, and suggest they consult with a professional, like the professionals at Jewish Family Services.
Comments