Letter to the Editor 4-28-23

To the Editor:
Mental Health Matters
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In writing this letter, we hope to provide strength and encouragement to our community members, encouraging them to acknowledge the importance of good mental health on our overall physical health and quality of life. Over the past three years, we have all felt the strain on our emotional and physical well-being.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were told to socially distance from friends and loved ones. We feared for the health of our families and communities. We saw the pandemic's strong economic effects while also experiencing a national reckoning with racism, racial violence, and political divides.
Given all the challenges we have experienced, we can see more clearly than ever before the impact of mental health on our lives. Yet, as a state, we also see the challenges more clearly.
In its 2023 annual State of Mental Health report, Mental Health America ranked Kansas 51st in the nation including the District of Columbia. As we emerge from the pandemic, we know that how we address mental health cannot — and should not — return to normal. The pandemic exacerbated the crisis and exposed the need for change. The stigma around mental illness is finally crumbling because families in every circle and zip code feel the impact.
The State of Kansas and Pawnee Mental Health are devoting every effort toward enhancing and personalizing community mental health services to ensure that every person receives the care they need when needed. The 2021 Kansas Legislature passed the CCBHC (Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic) law into effect.
Every community mental health center in Kansas is moving towards meeting the federal standards for access to quality care and the improved integration of physical and behavioral health care by July 2024.
Kansas will no longer be ranked 51st in the nation after this major state initiative is fully implemented.
To help promote Mental Health Awareness Month, you can display Mental Health posters at your work or business. You can find a variety of free accessible signs at https://bit.ly/PrintablePosters. You can also purchase a Mental Health Matters T-shirt for $15.
Shirts can be ordered at https://bit.ly/PawneeShirts. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we encourage you to exercise self-care and do what is necessary to ensure that your mental health is the strongest it can be. Likewise, encourage your loved ones to do the same.
If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the mental health hotline at 988 or Pawnee's Crisis Hotline at 1-800-609-2002.
Sincerely,
Robbin Cole,
CEO Pawnee Mental Health Services