May 23, 2023

JDC’s “Returning Home” Program Successfully Integrates Mental Health Patients Into Their Community


Not only during Mental Health Awareness Month, but all year long, Federation overseas partner the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is supporting individuals experiencing mental health challenges through its “Returning Home” program. Offering a tight-knit team of caregivers, including a psychiatrist, a social worker, a dietician, an occupational therapist and a peer mentor who has lived with similar struggles, the initiative helps those who have experienced mental health crises return to routine life in the community. For Oliver, who lives with depression and anxiety, the program helped him create goals, see the possibility of a brighter future and find new meaning in his life. “Ten months ago, everything was meaningless to me,” said Oliver. “Now it’s a whole other story … when I look back, I say: ‘Wow, a big change took place.” Click here to watch Oliver’s story.