HARTFORD, Conn — Hartford residents will be able to receive self-care and wellness resources as part of a partnership with Headspace, the Copper Beech Institute, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council. Mayor Luke Bronin made the announcement on Tuesday.
This is the first of its kind public-private partnership focused on community-wide mental wellness, which is administered by the City’s Office of Safety & Wellness.
All Hartford residents, students, city employees, and Hartford Public Schools employees will be given free access to mindfulness and personalized meditation resources available through the Headspace app.
“Communities across the country have seen a huge increase in anxiety and depression in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s been true here in Hartford, too,” said Bronin in a statement. “People are more stressed, more angry, and more prone to dangerous, impulsive decision-making, and you see it showing up in everything from road rage and personal disputes to absenteeism at work and school, domestic violence, and community gun violence. There’s no magic answer to a complicated problem like this, but the truth is that there are some simple and effective things you can do to help deal with those feelings of stress and anxiety. The data demonstrates that mindfulness and self-care practices can make a real difference, and we want to make sure that those tools and resources are available to everyone in our community. Headspace is one of the best, most accessible resources out there for mindfulness and wellness, and the Copper Beech Institute and the Greater Hartford Arts Council are great local partners.”
The Copper Beech Institute also will provide self-care and mental wellness training for city employees, with a specific focus on employees from the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation, and the Hartford Public Library, so they can promote mindfulness resources and support for the Hartford residents they serve.
The Greater Hartford Arts Council will support this initiative by using public art in high-visibility locations to emphasize positive messages.
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