For more than 70 years, Mental Health America has led the way in celebrating May as Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through media, events and screenings. The McHenry County Mental Health Commission encourages the community to join us in spreading the word that mental health is essential to overall health.
We are seeking public input during Mental Health Month and are inviting community members to our annual town hall meeting on May 9th at 5pm at 620 Dakota Street in Crystal Lake. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss service and community needs related to mental health, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Here are some facts to help you better understand mental health, substance use disorders, and intellectual developmental disorders.
- One in five people in the United States suffers from a mental illness each year. Of these people, one-third do not seek help and half do not receive treatment. Of the approximately 61,600 people living with mental illness in McHenry County, 20,500 are not seeking help and 30,800 are not receiving treatment.
- In the United States, approximately 20 million people ages 12 and older (6% of the population) struggle with a substance use disorder, and overall, approximately 8.5 million American adults (2%) struggle with both a mental disorder and substance use. There is. disability or co-occurring disability. In McHenry County, this equates to 18,480 people with a substance use disorder and 6,160 people with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder.
- From an overall health perspective, people with mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders are at higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver failure, and cancer. . Often these chronic diseases are detected late and left untreated.
- On average, 1 in 10 people has a family member with an intellectual or developmental disability.
One of the biggest changes over the past decade has been in intellectual and developmental disabilities. The incidence of autism has increased by more than 300% and the incidence of ADHD has increased by 33%.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the United States is seeing more people die from suicide, drug addiction, alcoholism, and alcoholic liver disease than any other time in recorded history. These are classified as “deaths of hope”.
- Death by suicide occurs every 11 minutes and is the second leading cause of death among teenagers.
- Overdose deaths are on the rise and are now twice as common as suicide deaths.
- McHenry County’s 2023 deaths of despair included 38 deaths by suicide and 47 deaths by overdose.
In McHenry County, the Mental Health Commission and network of health care providers continue to focus on preventing deaths of despair.
Please be part of the solution.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a day to help our community recognize the importance of mental health and provide access to prevention, treatment, and treatment for individuals with mental health, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s time to take action. Reconstruction support services.
Every voice matters and MCMHB wants to hear the voices of residents like you in this important City Hall.
The voices of McHenry County residents are an important part of the Mental Health Commission’s planning process and development of plans for future service needs.
At City Hall on May 9, Mental Health Commission Chair Connie Meschini will welcome community members and introduce the commission and staff. The evening’s agenda will include his three breakout sessions for public feedback (e.g., Mental Health, Substance Use Disorders, and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities).
New to the forum this year will be one meeting room designated for Spanish-speaking residents. Sign language and other interpreters are available with 48 hours’ notice. The public may submit written testimony in advance or during the meeting by email to informationrequest@mc708.org.
We need resident input to contribute to the local conversation by sharing their success stories and offering ideas for system improvements and enhancements.
For more information, contact the Mental Health Commission at 815-455-2828 or visit MC708.org.
Leonetta Rizzi is the executive director of the McHenry County Mental Health Commission.
