The need for mental health treatment is constant and ongoing, and for decades there was no organized effort to treat the mentally ill in DeKalb County. But the formation of the DeKalb County Mental Health Board gave those with such challenges a place to turn, and their families a voice.
Deanna Cada is Executive Director of the DCMHB, which marked its 50th anniversary at a public celebration on Tuesday night. She says the Board provides a unifying location for the various services offered by public agencies and private vendors; DeKalb County was fortunate to have Ben Gordon to act as an unofficial advocate and informal provider during his lifetime, and the Ben Gordon Center helps to continue that legacy for those who need it.
Cada also discussed the availability of Mental Health First Aid training; anyone willing to sign up for this eight-hour course will receive crucial information on how to deal with someone who has just suffered a traumatic event, is suffering a panic attack, or is having an especially turbulent reaction to an ongoing mental health concern. While you don't have to be any sort of professional to sign up for this course, it can be of particular use to teachers, first responders and health care professionals in fields outside of mental health.