LACONIA — Mental health care was top of mind for local candidates for state Legislature who gathered Tuesday morning at The Flip Side restaurant downtown for Lakes Region Mental Health Center’s legislative breakfast and annual meeting.
“The mission of The Flip Side coincides with the mission of Lakes Region Mental Health Center,” board president Laura LeMien said. “We’ve come a long way since we opened in 1965.”
LRMHC opened on Church Street in July 1966. The Flip Side restaurant employs developmentally disabled workers.
“In an ever-changing world, we have adapted to meet the needs of our communities, always prioritizing the individuals we serve,” LeMien said.
Board members of LRMHC, which provides integrated mental and physical health care to over 4,000 children, adults and elders annually, also presented awards to members of their public who go above and beyond for the community.
The Helen Holbrook Leadership and Service Award, recognizing a community member’s contributions to the cause of mental health in the Lakes Region and named after the first LRMHC staff member, was presented to 32-year U.S. Army veteran and helicopter pilot Bobbi McGettigan.
“She retired to Laconia and has continued [to serve] her community and country as a volunteer with volunteering with Camp Resilience,” Margaret Pritchard, LRMHC executive director and CEO, said.
The Dr. Pete Harris Award, recognizing a member of the community who promotes awareness, sensitivity, understanding and acceptance of mental health issues through public education, is named for the former pediatrician and founder of LRMHC. The board selected Heather Bishop-Dumka, who promotes positive news on the radio.
“Today’s winner of the Pete Harris Award really does exemplify what it is to be a quiet leader and to get things done,” Pritchard said.
And local candidates took the opportunity to pitch their campaigns to a room of 65. Democratic Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington said funding for mental health treatment is important, encouraging all to vote for candidates who will fund those services.
“I am the executive councilor for District 2 and it is truly an honor to serve on the Executive Council, where I’ve been an advocate for mental health and substance use disorder treatment for my four years on the Executive Council,” Warmington said. “What I know from being on the Executive Council is what happens at that table affects people at their kitchen tables. And it really, truly affects people everywhere in our state who need mental health services and substance use disorder treatment services.”
Republican state Rep. Mike Bordes, who’s running for reelection in Belknap District 5, said the government should fund mental health services and work with community providers to help those in need.
“We do have a severe mental health issue, not just within Laconia, within the entire state,” Bordes said. “I do think we need to get proper funding and I think we need to really address the mental health issues throughout the entire state.”
Wendy Chase, running for state representative in Belknap 5 as a Democrat, serves on the board of LRMHC. She said she’d support their work.
“I will stand strong to continue the work that I’ve learned with LRMHC which has been fantastic,” she said.
“I’ve loved being here, I’m looking forward to getting back into the House, if that’s the way the election goes.”
Jon Hildreth, a Democratic candidate for state representative in Belknap 5, said he, too, would advocate for mental health funding.
“I will always, always support funding for mental health and other health issues that we have here,” he said. “As was stated before, you are one of 400 members in Concord, but you’re one of 18 members of the Belknap County Delegation with many, many responsibilities.”
Democrat Charlie St. Clair, current state representative in Belknap 5, is running for reelection. He said he’d support LRMHC and encouraged voter participation.
“The work they do is, thank goodness, thank goodness we have organizations like this all around the state,” St. Clair said. “They truly are the experts on what is needed.”
Republican state Rep. Steven Bogert, who is also running for reelection in Belknap 5 and serves the city as a councilor in Ward 5, said he’d prioritize the needs of Laconia above all others.
“I’ll always put Laconia first, Belknap County second, then the state issues third,” Bogert said. “A lot of those state issues, they could have a positive or a negative impact on the county. Any positive, we all reap from all the different municipalities within the county, mainly being Laconia which is the county seat. If it has an adverse effect, we must be able to understand those adverse effects and be able to cut them off.”
And Democrat Carlos Cardona, who’s running for state Senate against Republican incumbent Tim Lang in District 2, said mental health services have helped him in the past and children today will be in crisis in 10 years.
“I work in mental health at Pine Haven Boys Center,” he said. “I have come to the conclusion that if people in our community think we have a mental health crisis in our country today, wait 10 years from now. When the kids that we’re servicing in our communities become adults, I really, truly believe that unless we go to the Statehouse and we change the way we fund not only public education but also mental health in our state, for the elderly and for the young, we’re going to see a worst-case scenario 10 years from today.”