JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Fulton County mental health workers want residents to know help is available.
“The first part is to break away from the shame, and just letting them know that they’re not alone in their journey,” said Brittany Johnson, clinical program coordinator.
Johnson and other county staff conducted a mental health fair at the Ocee Branch public library May 20. It was one of three held in May, Mental Health Awareness Month.
The fair featured a number of tables representing a variety of county resources from the Behavioral Health Crisis Center to Intellectual Developmental Disability Service Centers to opioid addiction services. Also present was North Fulton Community Charities, a nonprofit that offers assistance to residents in need.
Dallas Terry, social services coordinator, said promoting awareness is one major reason the county hosts the fairs.
“We want to bring awareness,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize the type of services that the county provides, as well as other nonprofits in the area.”
Johnson met with residents inside a behavioral health mobile unit, an RV the county uses to host screenings throughout the community. The assessments are free and part of the county’s Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities’ mission to increase access to mental health and substance use services.
Johnson said mental health challenges are more common than some may believe. Depression, anxiety and grief are reported by many adults. Children and teens can experience issues related to anxiety, anger, ADHD and impulse control.
“People need to be aware they need to take care of their mental health as well as their physical health,” Johnson said.
About 20 percent of U.S. adults experience a mental illness each year, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said. About 1 in 20 experience a serious mental illness each year.
More than 14 percent of youths ages 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
Sylvia Cardona, vice president of community engagement for North Fulton Community Charities, said the nonprofit attended the fair to connect residents with resources for mental health and other challenges.
Too often, residents suffering from mental health challenges also experience other obstacles.
“If you have such a strong case of depression, how do you pay your bills?” she said. “Or you got diagnosed with something that requires you to go to treatment for two weeks, you can’t go to work.”
After visiting with a case worker, residents can be connected to any number of resources that include rent assistance, a food pantry, thrift store, GED program and job center.
For Cordona and others at the nonprofit, providing that assistance is about living in a community that cares.
“Nobody is an island. We all live together,” Cordona said. “We’re in this world together.”
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