The Rockdale News Rockdale News Digital Edition, December 17, 2014 | Page 7

In Depth Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014 Help for the mental health helpers Panel highlights information for caretakers of mentally ill By Martin Rand III It was a large gathering at the Rockdale Career Academy to hear a panel discussion about all things related to mental illness. The panel of eight specialists spoke to a group of about 30 caretakers and family members who tend to people dealing with some kind of mental illness. This “Community Mental Health Summit,” was sponsored by Rockdale County Probate Court Judge Charles K. Mays. He spoke briefly at the podium before the discussion started about why he wanted to hold this event. Often times, Mays said the court and families had issues getting the help they needed from the hospital, law enforcement or housing authority, so the summit was to potentially find additional information that may be useful. “The idea came to me when we kept getting repeat persons (who) were going through stress and families were going through stress from the problems that they faced when a person in their family had mental illness,” he said to the group of more than 30 individuals. “We wanted to find answers and we wanted to come together with professionals like these to see what you as a family member and what we as the court that’s responsible can do to aid the citizens of Rockdale.” Dana Reynolds, business development representative for Laurel Heights Hospital in Atlanta, has over 30 years of experience working with adolescents with mental health issues. She was asked how to determine if someone has or might be developing a mental health issue. She advised it’s best to let a mental health professional make that determination because it can very difficult to read all the signs and differentiate the problem a medical issue. Nyree Jackson, a panelist who has worked in the behavioral health services field for more than 16 years in the public and private sectors, tried to get the audience to understand why a family member with a mental illness might sometimes lash out towards them. Read more resources National Alliance on Mental Illness, Family Support Group, Conyers Meets on the First and Third Monday of each month, 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 2375 GA 20 South, Conyers Diane Marinelli, 678-314-1017, [email protected] Ga. Crisis Access Line (24-hours): 1-800-715-4225 National Alliance on Mental Illness, Georgia: www.namiga.org, 770-234-0855 View Point Health (services for behavioral health and developmental disabilities in Rockdale, Newton, Gwinnett): www.myviewpointhealth.org Rockdale-Newton Suicide Prevention Task Force Jennifer Wilds (Viewpoint), 770-856-8034 or 770-209-2632