Personal Reflections from the President & CEO
President & CEO
Week 15 In the Trenches
Here we are, another week gone by, Florida reporting increases in positive cases of the Coronavirus, people still unable to receive their unemployment benefits, reports of fears of rising mortgage delinquencies, hurricane season in swing, summer camps trying to reopen only to shut down a few days later………..and then reopen again, students and parents waiting patiently to see what their fall will look like in regards to in-person or distance learning.
Let’s face it, that’s a lot for all of us to manage, and as each day goes by, their seems to be a new challenge to overcome on the horizon. Often when we see signs outside hospitals, senior living facilities and the like, we see “Heroes Work Here” – and they do! For JFS, our “Heroes” are our front line workers, our counselors, case managers, those working in our food and financial assistance programs, even those in our front office and intake departments – often the first people to hear a callers despair and pleas for help. Our Heroes may not work in hospitals or senior living facilities, but they must face some of the same emotional stressors that others are facing right now. It can be very emotionally draining to hear person after person needing help and having the mental fortitude to be there, physically and mentally, as a steady and strong compass leading the way to getting help and ensuring that help is received quickly, to the best of our ability.
We recently announced a new partnership with the FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine which will bring psychiatry residents to JFS to see children, teens, individuals and seniors. When this partnership kicks off in July, we will be the only non-profit serving south Palm Beach County offering psychiatry services to everyone whether you have insurance or not, making psychiatry affordable to everyone. This partnership is four years in the making, and will go a long way in addressing the huge unmet need of affordable and accessible psychiatry for all ages.
JFS continues to be there, on the front lines, with our own Heroes every day and this week I am dedicating my blog post to our staff, my Heroes, for their dedication, caring and commitment to helping all those in need.
Shabbat Shalom,
