SWAMPSCOTT — The town’s Health Department has partnered with And Still We Rise, a mental health service, to offer residents different forms of support and therapy.
The two entities joined forces to create free support groups and a group therapy program for residents, which is completely free of charge. Community members are encouraged to reserve spots as space is limited, and phone screenings are required before entry.
Residents can attend different slots on various days to participate in the program. The program runs on Fridays, with the next session being March 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program also ran on Tuesdays, March 18th and 25th, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
After community members go through a phone screening, the location of the meetups will be provided to people who wish to attend the program. To get more involved and learn more about the program, people can call 978-575-8103 to start the phone screening process.
According to a statement from the town, the program is a part of the Town’s Health Department initiative, which was created by using a portion of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address the ongoing public and mental health challenges.
The major theme of the program is “making progress through loss,” and will see participants explore the challenges that come with grief and loss, as well as ways to work toward healing and building resilience. Residents will get the chance to build new connections and learn tools to cope with grief in meaningful ways.
Another support group, which begins in April, covers the theme of “Reclaiming Social Connection” and will run from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. and will be facilitated by Dr. Elizabeth Louis. Weekly topics for the support group include the importance of connection and nurturing relationships, as well as identifying patterns of isolation and learning ways to seek help when needed.
And Still We Rise is a liberation-focused practice that provides mental health services and equity-centered consulting, grounded in justice, healing and collective care, according to its mission statement online.
