10.3.2022 Mental Health Awareness Day

welcome everyone mental illness awareness week now we want to know what mental illness awareness week is since 1999 when Congress officially established the first full week of October mental illness awareness Advocates have worked tremendously hard and activities and large and small educate the public about Mental Health and it's each year that we do this we come out and we talk about it we bring awareness

the stigma we educate people so tonight we have Leith Pastor Lisa Mello is going to give you us the opening prayer to stop uh event and thank you Lisa so you can hold that and talk good evening everyone I first want to thank Brenda for inviting me to open my name is Lisa Mello I am a pastor at Solomon Sports Church on Bay Street here in the city I'm also privileged to with a great

group of volunteers run our overflow homeless shelter every winter but in addition I'm also a mental health nurse and I've been in the Human Services field for 30 years and I've certainly seen the impact of mental health and the the changes and the the good things that that have have come along through education and I think sometimes it can be discouraging because we've made so many

advances with Western medicine in so many places but we still see numbers increasing with mental health and related illness and um but I actually wanted to pose um my opinion tonight and that's actually that we are making an impact through education we are breaking through the stigma and the ignorance that comes with lack of Education through what we are all doing every day of our lives and I

think that the world may view it as we have this crisis but I actually look at it as people are comfortable enough to ask for help now and maybe that's why we're seeing greater numbers and why it may appear to be a provider shortage in a lot of the country but I really do believe that it's because people are more comfortable with talking to people and having conversations and being vulnerable and

and really trying to to to break through and to to heal and to get well so I just want to thank you all for everything that you all do on a daily basis and I believe that we are winning and so this evening I just want to open up in prayer so father we just thank you for we thank you for the opportunity to be here we thank you for the opportunity to have conversations

conversations that help people father we just thank you for all that you've given us and we just ask for more uh answers to the questions instead of our answers would they be your answers father would it be your um your strategies father to educate and to promote and to really open people's eyes so we just thank you for all that you're doing we pray for a release and breakthrough over this city

in this area and we just say we pray all this in Jesus name amen thank you thank you very much okay so our next person that's going to come up and speak uh Darcy Lee She's the director of The Samaritan South Coast uh what she'll come and she's our guest speaker tonight thank you Brenda thank you for the opportunity to speak with all of you tonight thank you for attending tonight

it's important that we get together and that we talk about mental illness just as if it were a physical illness because it is our brain controls all of our body so when we think in terms of that it's a physical illness right so I really love that sign no science no Stigma so how many of you have heard of Samaritan's South Coast before that's good I'm so glad so we are the National Suicide

Prevention Lifeline Center that answers calls 24 hours a day seven days a week from anyone who is lonely depressed suicidal or needs emotional support we also have a group that meets twice monthly for survivors of suicide loss and survivors of suicide loss attend our safe place that group is a peer-to-peer support group we meet virtually and it's where people can share their grief share their sorrow and share their

support so Pastor Lisa mentioned the crisis that mental illness is a Public Health crisis suicide is a Public Health crisis but we are making strides in helping to address the issues around mental illness and access to services and access to Suicide services to prevent suicide so too many people across the U.S experience suicidal mental health and or substance abuse without the support that they need

without the support that they deserve we know that in 2020 they were approx there was approximately one death by suicide every 11 minutes and in 2020 for people aged 10 to 14 and 25 to 34 years old suicide was the second leading cause of death in the United States the second leading cause of death for our young people we also know that from April 2020 to April 2021 there were over 100

000 people who died from drug overdoses I'm sure that we all know someone who has died from an overdose from addiction the disease of addiction here in Bristol and Norfolk counties because we represent Bristol and Norfolk counties in 2021 we answered more than 13 000 calls almost 14 000 calls on our Suicide Prevention hotline and the ages of callers were from 13 years old to senior citizens

with the largest amount of callers calling who were in the 40 aged 40 to 65 age bracket our services are free to anyone who needs them and we used to have a very long phone number that people would have to remember to call now our phone number is 988.

so I'd just like to address a few more statistics for us here in Bristol County the total number of suicides in 2018 or 86.

in 2019 54 in 2020 65 and in 2021 61 suicides so while the numbers have decreased since 2018 we've seen an increase of calls on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for our region and that's a good thing because while we see an increase of cause we're calling rescue fewer times we're only calling rescue for people between one and a half and two percent for one and a half to two percent of our callers

and that's good because that means people are safety planning while they're on the phone with us we collect data everything is confidential on our lines but we do collect data because it helps us keep the pulse keep our finger on the pelts of what's Happening emotionally across the region and between 2021 versus 2020. eight percent of the callers that called in 2021 mentioned covet 19. I'll just read the

calls for for um I mean the numbers for uh 2021. 19 of our callers were new callers 13 of our callers were depressed 26 percent were lonely and 51 percent had anxiety and stress 10 percent mentioned Financial issues as the reason they were calling and six percent mentioned work-related issues 30 percent had relationship issues so always anxiety and stress and relationship issues they track the highest in the data

that we collect nine percent of our callers were suicidal at the outset of the call during the pandemic 21 of our callers were suicidal at the outset of the call but as I mentioned we're only calling rescue two percent of the time we do safety planning and we ask people to call us back anytime they need us and they do something else that we've added recently is that we can provide people with a

warm handoff phone call to emergency service providers so instead of being met with an ambulance or an officer in uniform with a gun while they're in the middle of a while someone is in the middle of a mental health crisis they can be directed to Emergency mobile services who will provide an assessment for them and provide them with resources so that they can get the help that they need

and it's really working very well that's part of what we're doing now with the change of our phone number to 988 so there is hope now that we provide our services 24 hours a day as I mentioned they're free and confidential we support people through all sorts of distressful situations we help people overcome crisis situations and it works the studies that have come out of the lifeline 988 we use it interchangeably

or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline have shown that after speaking with a trained crisis counselor most callers significantly feel better they're less depressed they're less suicidal they're less overwhelmed and they feel more hopeful our trained crisis counselors are caring compassionate listeners we do something that's called befriending so when people call us they know that they're not going to be

judged they're not going to be given advice they can talk freely and someone's listening it really does help so what's the number that we call that's right thank you 988.

we shorten the number from a 10 digit number and anywhere around the country people can call 988 and get the services that they need it's part of a national movement for suicide prevention and for dealing with Crisis Intervention in a different way and we're really proud to be part of it so in closing I'd just like to read you something from our safe place program and this is to remember the people who had a tougher

fight with their with their mental health illness and who maybe didn't survive but we remember them and that's the title of this closing reflection that we use for our safe place program we remember them in the rising of the Sun and in its going down we remember them in the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter we remember them in the opening of buds and in the warmth of summer we remember them

in the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of Autumn we remember them in the beginning of the year and when it ends we remember them when we are weary and in need of strength we remember them when we are lost and sick at heart we remember them when we have Joys we yearn to share we remember them for as long as we live they too shall live

for they are now a part of us as we remember them thank you everyone brings me to tears before I go on to remember our loved ones there's one thing I wanted to let everyone know if they don't know already why I fight so hard I lost a brother at 28.

my younger brother due to suicide and not only having a mother with mental health it's dear to my heart every day that I think about them and that's why I fight for the people with mental health because I know okay so we're going to remember the people that we've lost it's called the ringing of the Bell where we take time and for each time I call out a person the bell will ring so

that we remember them go ahead okay so the first one John Goslin my nephew Jonathan Gosling Daniel Smith Wendy Turner Richard Barlow his sister Tracy his brother Harry Jordan defrayes Stephen Wilson Frank Billy John Ryan Whittemore Steve Blanchette Manny Sandy Lambert Nancy Kevin Morris David Souza Tom F which they called them Big T Dwayne Jack Parson Leanne Claudia John Souza Jocelyn Sergeant William Burke Elizabeth

Lewis and I'm sure there's many more so some of those names that I called out you might have known I've advocated for him in the past so as we go on to our next event the Nami hero of the fight award the award the hero in the fight is a program that celebrates dignity courage hope and Recovery in an ongoing treatments for persons with severe and persistent mental illness a champion that is given to programs and

individuals who have done outstanding work in their community they could be volunteers or people who get paid people or groups that have a different makes a difference in our community we appreciate everyone who helped strive the mission to provide education support and advocacy for people living with a mental health challenge and for families and friends this program recognizes and celebrates

Hero's work for many people who fight for a better Mental Health Services and better lives in our community tonight we have two people two people that work tirelessly in our community send him Cindy solaco was born and raised in Forever currently besides the new in New Bedford she retired has an intake coordinator for the Emergency Department of Toby Hospital in 2017 and has worked on Telephone intake

interviews for High Point Treatment Center since 2018.

this this is the angels of Harry veteran Tracy and Richard and as I remember them every year Richard I Knew I've advocated for him I miss them all so Cynthia come on up Cynthia the certificate of recognition and appreciations to present it to Cynthia decico your outstanding commitment and dedication of making a difference to lives of families and people with mental illness the Nami Bristol County hero in the

fight award celebrates dignity courage hope and recovery for people with severe mental illness I give you this award you're welcome honey would you like to say something I want to thank the you can speak right here as I as I thank the local chapter of Nami for this award I also need to thank those who helped me along the way I thank the support of Brenda Venice and others who have made my efforts on the

behalf of Nami possible and successful has dmh and and a safe place they'll help me out and um Laurie who's been supportive in a way I must also thank my family members into my family members are here Shelley and Betsy who have Spock my efforts to learn more about handling loved ones with mental illness I'm here to honor them without their spot I would have learned I wouldn't have learned how to help others like them

I am here not just to reach a lofty goal but to help people like my grandson who battles mental illness I have been able to help him in the battle because of what I learned through Nami I lost three children and I want to keep learning and teaching how to help people like Tracy Richard and Harry and the loved ones who care about people like them that's why I'm a member of Naomi and I

humbly grateful for this award thank you for all your help and here's Cindy this is yours enjoy tonight okay so our second um I really got me then let me tell you that okay so our next person I've known for a long time outstanding 35 years working with the mental health system 35 years excellent working from a group home to dmh to um he's a therapist a clinical

I I can't find his uh bear with me I'm still crying over uh still uh emotional by for Cindy but he's been 35 years in the service let's have a big hand of pause for John Mitchell

this certificate of recognition appreciation is presented to John Mitchell for 35 years of outstanding commitment and dedication in making diff making a difference in the lives of people with mental illness the Nami Bristol County hero in the fight award celebrates dignity courage hope and recovery for people with severe and persistent mental illness there isn't believe me when I say it a wonderful

wonderful therapist oh I'm telling you the people that have him are very lucky and fortunate so John I humbly give you that award thank you very much would you like to say if you would now I know I know you do a lot of Health and Wellness but you know what you can always give it to somebody else because it's from Boston Bakery and it's yours um exception that you know what I mean I know

say a few words thank you thank you oh this one not this one all right so I'd like to thank Brenda for you know and every member of Naomi and everybody who's here today because obviously your tireless work and advocating and providing education to increase awareness is you know is what we need in this world and it's it's great to know that people like you exist and are out there and providing the cause Cynthia

congratulations I feel it's fantastic so just a quick thing uh I I the heroin the fight it kind of never looked at myself as a hero maybe Batman as a kid but that didn't work out so Maybe I don't know but uh he's not you know he doesn't want to give a pat on him that's why I did it because he definitely doesn't want anybody to give him a pat on the back

but you know what I'm giving him a pat on the back well to me a hero is you know selfless and they kind of help the cause of other people and for me I felt like I have learned more than I have ever taught and it's always been a blessing for me so you know when those blessing those years 35 years I've you know done case management and partial hospital and outpatient therapy and adjustment

counseling and I've got to meet some Extraordinary People along the way and to me that's the the biggest gift that I could ever receive in life and you know people that were Beyond you know social stigma of a diagnosis you know people who are resilient and compassionate and and strong and you know I'm a blessed person to have met them and to have got to share time with them

and kind of move along the path of path of life and I only hope that maybe I've provided something for their life like they've inspired mine so so thank you very much again thank you okay so um to end this first of all before we had listened to the music that I tried to get somebody to play music they couldn't so I'm bringing the music to you um but first I want to say I want to

thank um representative Alan Silvia for coming out here tonight and how it filed eggs and our city councilor Andrew rapozo um I want to thank him too and of course I want to thank every single one of you is for coming Okay so and of course the number one the person that actually led us at the last minute we were supposed to be outside in the cold in the Wind foreign