JUNE 3 • 2021 | 25

T

he Jewish Federation of 
Metro Detroit is offering a 
new, cost-free way to sup-
port an individual’s mental and 
emotional well-being.
Thanks to the Ravitz 
Foundation, Federation is part-
nering with the University of 
Michigan Depression Center to 
bring the Mood Lifters program 

to the Jewish community.
Mood Lifters is composed of 
15 one-hour weekly meetings, 
currently over Zoom, where 
peer leaders teach strategies to 
improve well-being. Participants 
track progress, new behaviors 
and ways of thinking through the 
Mood Lifter’s app. In each of the 
15 weekly meetings, participants 

learn science-based techniques 
and set individual goals.
The partnership was created 
when Todd Krieger, JFMD’s 
senior planning director, was at 
the U-M Depression Center and 
met Patricia Deldin, deputy direc-
tor of the Depression Center and 
creator of Mood Lifters. 
“She was talking about this 
program, and she characterized 
it as Weight Watchers for mental 
health,
” Krieger said. “It was so 
interesting to see the impact she 
was having fairly quickly, and it 
was one of those things that stuck 
in my mind.
”
Fast forward to January, when 
the Mood Lifters partnership 
officially began with the first 
session to help the local Jewish 
community.
“We’re a bridge where we pro-
vide the skills and the evidence 
behind those skills that help 
people reduce their anxiety and 
depression, but then we encour-
age them to make their own 
goals, set their own strategies and 

really do it on their own,
” Deldin 
said. 
Mood Lifters is designed to 
help everyone — from people 
who are experiencing significant 
anxiety and depression to those 
who simply want to learn new 
strategies to help them thrive.
Ashley Schnaar, JFMD youth 
mental health coordinator, said 
117 community members have 
attended a meeting since the 
first session in January, and that 
they’ve been well received. 
Krieger added, “It’s really a 
critical program and we know 
people are struggling, so we want 
to make sure we’re providing 
programs to help people live lives 
where they can be healthy from a 
mental health perspective.
” 
A new session begins 
Thursday, June 10, and ends Sept. 
23. The sessions will take place on 
Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. 

For information, visit Moodlifters.com or 

contact Ashley Schnaar at schnaar@jfmd.

org or (248) 292-9005.

A new Mood 
Lifters session 
runs June 10-
Sept. 23.

Mental 
Health 
Support

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JewishNews Forest 2021 Half Page Horizontal 05.06.21 copy.pdf 1 5/12/2021 12:03:30 PM

