Our community, much like the rest of our country, has been through a lot in the last two years. Economic, political, and social turmoil has left many with a great deal of anxiety. This turmoil has stressed family dynamics and pushed people further into isolation.
In this environment, our mental health can diminish and those who were already suffering from mental illness are likely to experience further decline. Our City’s mental health initiative has never been more important. Our efforts over the last seven years have generated real, tangible results such as:
- Implementation of a community paramedicine program with trained paramedics in mental health that respond to every mental health emergency run.
- Expansion of critical intervention training in our police department.
- An expansive mental health system deployed in our schools system to provide resources to students in need.
- The development of a broad awareness campaign to eliminate the stigma.
Our work is not done, however. There are still many in need. The next chapter of our work on mental health will be marked by a focus on the root causes of mental illness in our community and the development of policies that will allow us to get at the heart of those root causes. Then, and only then, can we begin to truly prevent mental illness.
I am excited to have our Director of our Public Health Department, Monica Heltz lead the effort for this next chapter. Her vast experience and knowledge in the public health field will allow us to address the issues of mental illness from a public health lens. As always, please know that our team at the city stands ready to help any individual that is struggling today and that we have our eye on how to prevent others from struggling in the future.
Together, we can create a stigma free Fishers.
Get involved throughout May Mental Health Month and help our community work towards being #StigmaFreeFishers. Learn more about the initiative and see the full event lineup at thisisfishers.com/MentalHealthMonth, and follow Fishers Health Department on Facebook and Twitter for resources.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or 9-1-1.
Scott Fadness is the Mayor of Fishers, a position he has held since 2015. In his position, he has brought to life a smart, vibrant, and entrepreneurial vision for the city, as Fishers was named “Best Place to Live in America” by Money Magazine in 2017 and “Community of the Year” by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce in 2016. Under Scott’s leadership, Fishers has transformed into a lively, successful city that large corporate headquarters, small businesses, families, and people of all ages are proud to call home. Scott and his wife, Aunna, have three sons, Lincoln, Hudson, and Jackson. On the weekends, you can often find them enjoying the Fishers Farmers Market and events at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.