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Community responsibilities

Sauk Valley Newspapers - 7/8/2017

On May 10, Prevention, Recovery & Information on Substance Abuse and Mental Illness of Lee County hosted a Mental Health Forum in Dixon.

Various community organizations with a vested interest gathered together to make the event possible. We were pleased to host a packed house of more than 150 individuals, all of whom were interested in the topic of mental illness, but for different reasons.

Professionals from the field of mental health were in attendance, but there also were community members who struggle with mental illness or have a loved one who struggles with it. A panel of Lee County representatives from National Alliance on Mental Illness, Sinnissippi Centers, Dixon Police Department, Lee County Sheriff's Department, KSB Hospital, and the State's Attorney's office spoke about initiatives that we have taken on as a community to better serve those struggling with mental illness. We also heard extremely powerful testimonials from folks who have struggled with it.

I left that evening feeling empowered to continue our efforts in Lee County. As vice president and chief clinical officer at Sinnissippi Centers, I know we cannot affect change alone. Mental illness is not only something that affects individuals and families, but it affects communities.

For this reason, the closing message at the forum focused on asking everyone in attendance to commit to one action step to take back to their homes, their places of employment, or their social circles. And, today, I am asking you to do the same. These action steps can be small changes you make in your day-to-day life or can be major changes for the community.

Small changes include continuing our own education about mental illness and educating others. A mental health first aid course, for example, helps community members better understand how to respond to someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis. It also is important to use respectful language when referring to individuals who struggle with mental illness. We should avoid using derogatory terms such as "crazy" and refer to individuals as "those struggling with schizophrenia" as opposed to defining someone as "the schizophrenic."

It is always a good life lesson to avoid judging others. We shouldn't assume we know what other people are experiencing, but assume that everyone is carrying around their own struggles, even if they are not vocal about it.

Funding for mental health services is an increasingly growing concern. Advocate for services, funding, and resources that help those struggling with mental illness. Just as we see with physical illness, if we can help individuals more proactively, we can decrease overall costs to society.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can make a difference within the community or are interested in having someone come to your business, church, or civic organization to discuss mental illness, contact PRISM at 815-284-3371. For more information about mental health first aid, contact Sinnissippi Centers at 815-284-6611. Together, we can make a difference.