Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day 2023
I find myself in an appreciative mood today. Sure, it is Friday (if it is not Friday at the time you are reading this, it will soon be Friday, so you are getting there!), and the weather is unseasonably warm today. But what makes me bask in this appreciative disposition is the fact that today, May 12th, is National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day.
Demand for mental health services during the pandemic grew greatest for those between the ages of 18-44.
National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day
Setting aside that pang of cringe you felt at my attempt to use camp to link my mood to National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day (a day you surely have been looking forward to for the past 364 days), there is truth in what I wrote. I am feeling incredibly appreciative of mental health providers and everything they do. That is because I am consistently reminded of all those they’ve helped and continue to help.
On May 11, 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services declared an end to the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t know about you, but when the pandemic began ravaging our communities in early 2020, my friends, family, and I were, each individually, in a problematic mental health space. Where did we turn for help? Therapists. Across the country, the demand for mental health care skyrocketed, along with deaths from COVID-19. We experienced the proliferation of telehealth therapy options, and CFR clinicians were creative in their solutions for providing access to mental health services in a time of critical and urgent need. CFR clinicians met the challenge.
Emily Mudd (pictured here) founded the Council for Relationships in 1932.
Bearing witness to the good mental health providers do for our communities
In my role as CFR’s Director of Communication & Development, I have the privilege of working alongside over 80 incredibly dedicated, empathetic, and intelligent therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists (not to mention the extraordinary cohorts of Therapist Interns, postgraduate students, and CFR’s administrative staff). My colleagues are amazing clinicians and even more amazing people. That last point is important: clinicians are people; they are impacted by the same mental health stressors and concerns as me and you. Yet, they continue to provide care, driven by their desire to help others.
CFR clinicians are true experts. Since 1932, CFR clinicians have been improving the lives of those who struggle with mental health and often lead the way in research, equitable care, and innovation. CFR is a mental health leader in the Philly region, one on which our communities, and the greater region, rely. This is only possible because of the clinicians who work here.
Philadelphia has always been home for CFR, and today the organization has 9 offices in the region, including in New Jersey.
Thank a mental health provider
So yeah, on this National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day, I want to keep it local and express my deep appreciation for those who help individuals, couples, and families at their most difficult moments. My colleagues strengthen relationships, rebuild relationships, and forge new relationships. They are at the forefront of the struggle to make the highest-quality mental health care accessible for all.
At this time of increasing conflict and trauma, and as our communities are ravaged by inequities, discrimination, poverty, and violence, CFR clinicians are building a stronger, more resilient city and region by centering mental health care. I am appreciative to have an opportunity to work alongside such astounding clinicians who are making a positive impact right here in the Philly area…my home. Thank you!
Michael Fasano-McCarron (pictured here) has dedicated his career to working with community-based nonprofits.
About the Author
Michael Fasano-McCarron the Director of Communications & Development at Council for Relationships. Prior to joining CFR in 2022, Michael worked on behalf of LGBTQ+ youth in Boston and was a high school English teacher in suburban Philadelphia. If you have questions for Michael, you may reach him via email at mmccarron@councilforrelationships.org or by phone at 215-382-6680 ext. 3160.
If you would like to request a therapy or psychiatry appointment with a CFR Staff Therapist or Psychiatrist, click here, or search our clinician directory for clinicians with different specialties and availability.
About No-Fee and Low-Fee Therapy
CFR is committed to offering high-quality therapy services for all, regardless of ability to pay. To learn more about CFR’s no-fee and low-fee therapy options, click here.