Curating mental health acceptance in Wilson County
May 8—Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto signed a proclamation over the weekend declaring May 9 as children's mental health acceptance day in Wilson County.
"Mental health is an issue that just doesn't get a lot of attention," Hutto said. "If we've got a cold, we'll probably tell somebody. If we've got a headache we'll tell somebody. If we've got a toothache, we go to the dentist. But a lot of times, with a mental health issue, we don't tell people and go see (someone) about it."
The county mayor's office collaborates with Tennessee Voices each year during May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month.
"Tennessee Voices has lots of programs for kids focusing on mental health," Brooke Driver said. "We normally do children's mental health awareness month, and this year instead of awareness, it's about acceptance."
Over the past year, Tennessee Voices has worked in the county with the school systems and other nonprofits to spread information around mental health to reduce stigma.
"To commemorate all of that work, we were able to bring together all of those partners to sign a proclamation in remembrance of mental health awareness month," Tennessee Voice Outreach and Engagement Program Manager Francis Garcia said.
In addition to spreading information, Tennessee Voices has also brought mental health resources to Wilson County.
"We brought the behavioral safety net, which is inclusive of children and adults who don't have insurance coverage," Garcia said.
Two youth mental health training courses have been hosted at churches in Wilson County as well.
"Youth Mental Health first aid teaches adults how to identify and prevent mental health issues in children," Garcia said.
Tennessee Voices has put together a training calendar with the schools.
"That calendar will consist of family support services, looking at the truancy issue that they're currently having and how we can provide support to those families that are in need," Garcia said.
As a Lebanon resident, Garcia sees the youth mental health needs in Wilson County.
"It was just exciting to see how open people were, how all of these partners that I've been able to meet with to share our resources all decided to come together for that photo at the courthouse steps," Garcia said. "It was really exciting. It was so vibrant because we know that mental health is something that's really not discussed in our communities."
