BREWSTER – Noting that one
in four Americans has a diagnosable mental health disorder in any given
year, Putnam County is joining the National Day Without Stigma on Monday,
October 5. The National Day is a program of Active Minds, a national non-profit
dedicated to changing the way society talks about mental health. The National
Day coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs the first full
week in October, this year from October 4 through October 10.
“Government’s role in society is to protect the well-being of
its citizens, and we have a social and fiscal responsibility to help those
with mental health issues” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell.
“Unaddressed, these issues can lead to serious problems, even suicide.”
The county executive said this is the Year of the Family in Putnam and “our
focus has been, and always will be, to keep the family unit together.”
That is why the county established a suicide prevention task force and why
it is important to reduce the stigma often links to mental illness, Odell
said.
“Effective treatments are available for mental health disorders, just
as they are for physical illnesses,” said County Health Commissioner
Dr. Allen Beals. “When someone has a chronic pain or shortness of
breath, they visit a physician and seek treatment. It should be the same
with mental health issues. Help is available.”
Megan Castellano, executive director of the Mental Health Association in
Putnam County, who also co-chairs the suicide prevention task force, said
stigma “is a big stumbling block for both individuals and families
seeking help.” She said mental health advocates and community members
“need to emphasize that treatments work, and we need to work with
primary care providers to increase and normalize mental health screenings
as routine.”
