The topic of mental health has been a difficult journey for the MSD community. To ensure that students have the resources they need, a new wellness center, Eagles Haven, has been established. On March 25, Eagles Haven opened as a place for these students to begin or continue to heal.
Eagles Haven is a free center for MSD students and faculty, providing wellness activities, including pet experiences, kickboxing, boot camp, power yoga, cooking, tai chi, healing yoga, meditation, creative arts, open mic music and poetry, drumming circle and dance, aromatherapy, game nights, acupuncture and more.
“The activities were a really fun way to get my mind off of difficult things, and it was really comforting to be with others in the activities that were feeling the same as me,” junior Amanda Brotton said.
Those who may need more help in dealing with trauma or other mental health issues have access to additional support programs at Eagles Haven. These services include linking families to any needed service or traditional therapy in the community, in-home private consultations, school advocacy, crisis support and private or group walk-ins.
The staff of this facility are all licensed clinicians and serve to improve the well being of Eagles Haven visitors.
“The counselors and staff were extremely helpful, they made me feel safe and comfortable to speak about what I was feeling,” Brotton said.
This program was made possible by the Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options, and the Children’s Services Council of Broward County. The Children’s Services Council provided generous funding while JAFCO, a local nonprofit organization, oversaw the creation of Eagles Haven.
Eagles Haven is working to promote wellness but is not a therapy center. They are hoping to promote community relations, mental health and restore hope. Eagles Haven was created so no one has to suffer in silence, and so anyone can have a safe place to work out their issues or simply de-stress.
“Eagles haven is a great place to get the kids out there and make connections,” psychology teacher Ronit Reoven said. “There they can socialize and not be alone, and know that there are other people that are struggling with certain things, that way they can understand each other.”
This center was established in order to prevent additional suffering from MSD survivors, as they are working to create a place where anyone can speak about their struggles and provide them the help they need.
Eagles Haven is open every day of the week, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. They hope to continue the process of healing for MSD, while also providing a safe and fun atmosphere as well.
To visit their website go to https://www.eagleshaven.org/. To contact them, call 954-618-0350 or email them at [email protected]
