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BRIEF: Lewis County Commission Recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month

The Chronicle - 5/26/2018

May 22--Lewis County'sBoard of Commissioners gave formal recognition Monday to mark May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

The proclamation, read by Public Health and Social Services Director Danette York, is intended to "increase public understanding of the importance of mental health and to promote identification and treatment of mental illnesses."

The document notes that one in five adults experience a mental health problem in any given year and often experience long delays between symptoms and treatment. It adds that public education and civic activities can help improve those situations, and early identification and treatment are important.

"It's quite the movement right now," said Commissioner Edna Fund, crediting the work of York's department.

After the proclamation passed unanimously, former commissioner and Cascade Mental Health board member Ron Averill approached the commission to praise the measure.

"Mental health has always been stigmatic," he said. "I think we've taken some great steps forward. ... We still have a long way to go. One thing we continue to need to work on is getting the word out to people that mental health is a serious problem."

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