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James Plastiras Director of Public Information New York State Office of Mental Health 518-474-6540 james.plastiras@omh.ny.gov

November 23, 2020

NYS Office of Mental Health Launches Campaign to Thank New Yorkers for their Contributions during COVID Pandemic

Social Media Campaign Invites New Yorkers to Submit Entries for Public Recognition

The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) today launched it’s first-ever “Gratitude Campaign” to help New Yorkers give thanks for the sacrifices and efforts made to manage the pandemic throughout 2020. The campaign acknowledges the tireless work of healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, store owners, and other essential workers, as well as the daily contributions every New Yorker has made to care for each other and find resiliency amongst uncertainty.  

The interactive digital campaign builds upon Governor Andrew Cuomo’s theme of being:

NY Tough
NY Smart
NY Loving
NY Thankful                                                              

“We know how hard this last year has been for so many New Yorkers, and we urge everyone to take a moment for reflection ahead of this Thanksgiving holiday,” says Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “Almost all of us have experienced feelings of grief, isolation, financial insecurity or anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also found resiliency, collaboration, selflessness, and unity, which is worth recognizing and appreciating. The NY Thankful campaign invites New Yorkers to focus on the small positive actions that we have collectively taken to keep New York safe. It can be tremendously therapeutic to focus on these moments of gratitude during times of uncertainty and we are eager to promote this concept while also sharing crisis and emotional support resources.”

NY Thankful Campaign Objectives

  •  To acknowledge the contributions New Yorkers are making during the Covid-19 Pandemic

So many New Yorkers selflessly sacrificed to support their communities, even when it increased their own stress and anxiety. They deserve to be seen and thanked for their efforts combating the COVID-19 virus. Being recognized and validated can improve someone’s resilience, leading to better mental wellness and the ability to cope with tough situations.

  • To give New Yorkers an easy way to express gratitude AND improve their own sense of wellness.

Taking the time to express gratitude helps boost one’s ability to think positively, despite negative circumstances. This therapeutic activity can help “retrain the brain” to see the good in every situation, which works to promote resilient thinking.

  • To help raise awareness of available crisis and emotional support information.
No one is immune to experiencing mental health struggles and the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that having access to crisis and emotional support resources is more important than ever. These resources are discretely embedded in the digital campaign graphics to help spread awareness and promote help-seeking behavior.

How to Participate

There are two ways to participate:

  • OMH has launched a website to collect submissions from New Yorkers.
Go to www.ny.gov/nythankful to share your ideas and acknowledgements of gratitude.  The submissions should be general and related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (ex. Thank you teachers for your dedication to our children.)
  • OMH will be posting the NY Thankful campaign graphics on its social media pages and invites New Yorkers to share the ones that are most meaningful to them. 
Share on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2ISU9gf
Share on Instagram: Instagram.com/officeofmentalhealth
Share on Twitter: Twitter.com/NYSOMH
 

 

 

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This is a message from the New York State Office of Mental Health. 

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