PRINCETON, W.Va. (WVVA) – The National Institute of Mental Health reports more than one in five Americans live with a mental illness.
Mental illness and substance abuse go hand in hand in West Virginia and representatives in Mercer County are mapping out a plan to address it.
“Today, we’re having a Mercer County RAP session, which is our resource and planning session. It’s part of a statewide initiative to map the mental health and substance abuse resources in each county of the state and to identify the gaps as well,” said Connie Cochran, director of business and crisis services at PCH Behavioral Health Center.
Mercer County law enforcement, local government representatives and mental health specialists gathered at the Karen Preservati Center in Princeton to review accessible services for those struggling with mental illness and addiction.
Counties all over the mountain state are hosting similar meetings, being part of the state’s process of updating their judicial map.
The intent of this session is to create an action plan to address gaps in accessibility and to bridge a dialogue between law enforcement and mental health service representatives.
“I would say in the years past, there has been a disconnect between law enforcement and mental health services. Within the last few years, there’s been a great effort made with Southern Highlands, Community Connections, and law enforcement and fire EMS that’s bridged a lot of those gaps that we’ve seen,” said Sgt. Amanda Moore of the Bluefield Police Department.
During the meeting, it came as a surprise that Mercer County had more resources for mental health and substance abuse issues than expected as the group identified prevention programs found in the community.
The next step is to get the word out for those who need help.
“We just want to support individuals in the community setting, let them know that we’re here to help them, and to hopefully get them the services that they need,” said Candace Nelson, chief clinical officer of community programs at Southern Highlands.
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