As the Mayor of Mount Gilead, I have the privilege of serving the community that I call home.
But before I am a mayor, I am a mother.
That is why the work of the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health and Recovery Services Board is personal to me, and why I support the Board’s levy request on the Nov. 3 ballot.
I have children who have utilized behavioral health services. I know firsthand that when a family is navigating mental health issues, finding the right help can feel overwhelming.
It can be difficult to know where to turn, who to call, and whether the services your loved one needs will actually be available.
I also know what it means to see your child get the help they need.
That experience has given me an appreciation for how a strong behavioral health system doesn’t just help the individual receiving services. It helps entire families and communities.
The Delaware-Morrow Mental Health and Recovery Services Board plays an important role in making that system possible. The Board works tirelessly to assess the needs of our local communities, fund providers that are embedded in Morrow County, coordinate resources, and ensure residents have access to mental health, addiction, prevention, and recovery services.
For families like mine, that work matters. It matters when a child needs counseling. It matters when a parent is struggling with addiction. It matters when a brother or sister is experiencing a mental health crisis. And it matters when our family members are finally able to access the care they need.
Even if your family is lucky enough to not need behavioral health services, these are not issues affecting strangers. The local residents utilizing these services are our neighbors, our coworkers, and our friends.
As mayor, I also understand that local government has a responsibility to be thoughtful about how we use taxpayer dollars. Supporting a levy is not something I take lightly. But I believe we have to consider the cost of not having these services available when our residents need them.
The Board’s current levy is the foundation of our local behavioral health safety net. It helps support crisis services, prevention, school-based services, and other treatment and recovery programs for more than 25,000 residents across Morrow and Delaware Counties.
Many of the residents using Board-funded services have nowhere else to turn.
The Board’s levy request is about maintaining services that our communities already depend upon — not simply creating something new.
I have seen the difference behavioral health services can make in the life of a family. I have experienced the relief that comes from knowing your child can get help. I know how important it is for families to have somewhere to turn when they are facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
That is why I hope you will join me in renewing our support for the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health and Recovery Services Board by voting “yes” in November.
Supporting mental health and recovery services is an investment in our children, our families, our workforce and the future of our communities.
And for me, that’s personal.