Sophie Ultan - Mental Health: You are not Alone

Hello! I’m Sophie and I am a member of the Jewish Teen Foundation (JTF). JTF is a program that teaches a group of Jewish teens about social justice through philanthropic work. Being a part of JTF gives me the opportunity to really make a positive impact on this world and improve the lives of people in our community. Each year, we come to a consensus on a population to support for the year. We diligently research and select organizations that we feel can make a substantial impact and that align best with out mission statement. We then invite nonprofits to apply for JTF funding, and choose the mission and values-aligned organizations that successfully provides help and support to those we want to reach.

This year, our JTF south board came to a consensus to focus our efforts on supporting people affected by a mental illness because we feel that there is a substantial stigma due to the fact that it can be difficult to ask for help. The way our society treats mental health is a massive issue affecting people all over the world, but it impacts marginalized communities disproportionately. Why is access to mental health treatment so limited? What can we do to make mental health treatment more accessible?

Mental illness has been a constant problem in our society, but was not always accepted or treated properly. To this day, many people struggle to admit that they, or one of their loved ones, are afflicted by mental illness due to the social stigma of seeking emotional or psychological support. Along with a need for mental health awareness, many people do not have sufficient access to mental health treatment. Currently, there are over 150 million people who live in areas that lack any mental health services or are not financially able to afford mental health support whether that be counseling, medication, or other various forms of treatment. Ultimately, mental illness is a serious issue that is not given the attention that it deserves in the world of activism.

The Jewish Teen Foundation South Board is committed to supporting individuals struggling with mental health through organizations/initiatives that further access to quality mental health care and combat social stigma. 

• 1 in 6 of young americans are affected by a serious mental illness yearly 

• 47.4% of Lesbian, Bisexual, or Gay people experience mental illness every year

• 1 in 5 young adults say that the pandemic compromised their mental health

https://www.nami.org/mhstats

By donating to the Jewish Teen Foundation, each dollar will go directly to carefully selected organizations that work to give support to people afflicted by a mental illness and to raise awareness by combating the stigma attached to mental health services. 

Please donate by our deadline on April 10th, 2023.

Thank you so much for any support that you can give. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and make substantial impacts on the lives of people afflicted by a mental illness.

If you have any questions or want to learn more, feel free to contact me at sophieultan@gmail.com.