A public event at 2 p.m. Sunday at Donner Park in Columbus can bring what sometimes is very private matter into the light of awareness.
Janice Montgomery, among local volunteers with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of South Central Indiana, sees some of that perspective about the local affiliate’s inaugural 1-mile and 2-mile walk, rain or shine.
“People who come to participate can look around and say, ‘Hey — I know a lot of these people,’” Montgomery said.
She has attended a support group to be of help to a relative dealing with mental illness and is being trained as a support group and class leader to help others in Bartholomew and Jackson counties. She credits Columbus licensed clinical social worker Debbie Teike, the affiliate’s chair, with getting her involved.
Nineteen teams and numerous other individuals are expected to attend, according to organizers.
The event is designed to raise awareness about mental illness and to educate and support families walking such a challenging road. Information will be shared about how NAMI supports those whose lives are directly or indirectly affected by mental wellness.
NAMI is a grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. In Indiana alone, more than 20 percent of the population has a diagnosed mental illness, according to in.gov. And more than half of those people do not receive treatment in any given year, according to the alliance.
“This is an epidemic,” Teike said.
That becomes especially significant considering that the local Family Service nonprofit counseling agency has reported that 19 percent of local students say they have seriously considered suicide.
But Teike is hopeful as the issue has garnered more attention nationwide. She sees just the local event alone as a reason for optimism.
“The response to organizing this walk has been phenomenal,” Teike said.
Organizers originally had sent a modest fundraising goal of $3,000, but donors met that. Then it was raised to $7,500, which has been surpassed. All proceeds will be used for education and awareness in Bartholomew and Jackson counties.
Teike mentioned that one significant obstacle among more severe mental health clients is that they need help to access the resources they need.
“Some of these conditions that they’re facing are very debilitating,” Teike said, referring to conditions as varied as bipolar to PTSD. “And many of these people do not have the ability to self-navigate the system. And our (national) system is ideally set up for people to self-navigate.
“But there are good people, because of their brain’s condition, who cannot do that.
“So we have people lost in the mental health care system because there aren’t enough providers. And we have people who are lost in the system because of stigma and discrimination. And we have some people just unable to understand what’s happening to them or where to get help.
“And we’re seeing a disproportionate number of these people incarcerated. Plus, there are still others with very troubling outcomes.”
For more information:
On support groups to other resources, go to https://namisouthcentralin.org
For more information:
On support groups to other resources, go to https://namisouthcentralin.org
