Elias Lefferman

Candidate Board of Health, answer the Stockbridge Updates Q&A

I am running for the open position on the Board of Health in the town of Stockbridge. I've been a second homeowner here for over 17years and a full time resident for the past 7. Raised in Port Chester, New York I attended Boston University, later obtained my Masters in Social Work and, after moving to Los Angeles, completed my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. I provided mental health services to challenged children and their families and eventually became the CEO of a large mental health agency serving Southern California. After 40 years doing the work that I loved, I retired and decided to make the Berkshires my permanent home.

What prompted you to run?

I have felt, professionally and personally, that whether as an individual, a family or a community, positive changes come through knowledge and making informed choices. The Board of Health position presents an opportunity for me to use my experience and skills to observe, learn, inform and, hopefully, have a positive influence on the community regarding public health issues affecting our physical and emotional wellbeing.

If elected, what would be your primary focus?

My primary focus would be to ensure that there was a voice to address both physical and mental health issues impacting those of us living in Stockbridge. The pandemic exposed not just our physical health vulnerabilities but our psychological ones as well. While attempting to contain a threat to our physical health we were confronted with the impact of isolation, loneliness, the loss of social and physical contact and for some, the reliance on drugs and/or alcohol. Information about physical health decisions need to include the social and emotional consequences so that together we make choices that best meet our needs.

What would you like voters to know about you?

I would like voters to know that my goal is understand the variety of factors that impact our town's residents. I would like to observe, learn and inform you of potential problems, concerns and possible solutions that may influence our health, safety and well-being.

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