Inside the Chamber

A FOCUS ON

MENTAL HEALTH

THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY HELPS RAISE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. BY VAL PREVISH

News and social media feeds are full of stressinducing topics these days. Pandemics, inflation, crime, and international conflicts dominate the headlines. It’s easy to see why many people say they feel more anxious than ever before.

City Manager Brian Riblet says it was this heightened sense of anxiety he heard many people talk about that spurred him to create new opportunities here in Montgomery to learn about and take better care of our mental health.

“This subject has been weighing on my mind for the past two or three years,” says Riblet. “I’ve heard lots of people talk about mental health and how they felt more anxious. It even seemed to be affecting our youth. So I had some conversations with City Council about it, and they were very supportive.”

The City decided to take action. It began with a survey in November 2021 asking residents to report their biggest concerns with their mental health and what subjects they wanted to learn more about. The results showed a strong interest, and residents reported topics such as depression and anxiety as their primary concerns.

This year, for the first time, Montgomery has allocated funds to offer mental health outreach and awareness. Information and events centered on unique issues in mental health are available to residents through the Montgomery City Bulletin and at individual events to discuss various topics in mental health.

The fi rst event, a conversation about mental health in the community, took place in May. The second, a forum about suicide prevention, was held in August. More are scheduled to be held before the end of the year.

“As a local municipality we can’t administer mental health services, but we can be a facilitator to raise awareness and help connect people to resources,” says Riblet. “There is often a stigma around mental health that makes people reluctant to talk about it. Our goal is to break down barriers and make this something that’s easier to talk about so residents can get help if they need it.”

For more information about the City of Montgomery’s mental health outreach, go to the city website, montgomeryohio.gov. Watch for the city’s next forum on mental health this fall, and feel free to bring friends from outside Montgomery with you. The events are open to all.