NEWS
County Board Passes Anti-Depression Initiative
The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors took a positive step in dealing with emotional trauma. Last Friday, the Board unanimously approved an effort to deal with depression. This was spearheaded by Blenheim Supervisor Shawn Smith and introduced by Sharon Supervisor Sandra Manko. The text of the resolution reads as follows:
WHEREAS depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and other mental illnesses, impact the lives of Schoharie County residents on a regular basis, including up to approximately a quarter of the student body at the State University of Cobleskill, and an unknown number of students within Schoharie County's six school districts; and
WHEREAS treatment for mental illnesses, both medicinal and therapeutic, have a high success rate for those afflicted with either clinical or conditional bouts of mental distress, but approximately two-thirds of American students choose not to seek help for fear of embarrassment, of shame, or of the social stigma associated; and
WHEREAS the United States Congress established the first week of October as the National Mental Illness Awareness Week in 1990, and that mental health advocates continued to bring awareness to those afflicted between October 5th and October 11th of this year; and
WHEREAS a collection of local students, government officials, and young adults have joined efforts to form a depression awareness organization, Light the Way, to disseminate information and host events in support of increased education on mental illness with the hope of decreasing the social stigmatization associated with depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, while working to serve as a torchlight of hope, by way of sharing personal stories and providing information and resources to the afflicted, to light the way for troubled souls in the shadows; and
WHEREAS the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors desires to aid those suffering from depression and other mental illnesses in any way that it can.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors hereby declares that it supports the efforts of the County Mental Health Department, Light the Way, and other national, state, and local government agencies and organizations to bring continued awareness to mental illnesses both in and outside of Schoharie County.