Meeting #2

  A few weeks ago, Healthy Start was holding a Resource Roundtable at Mary Lee's House on Armenia, and I attended it.  The meeting began at 9 a.m. and lasted until noon.  It consisted of different behavioral health organizations in Hillsborough County.  A representative from each organization spoke on behalf of the organization to explain the benefits and resources available to Healthy Start.
  Healthy Start is an organization that works with at-risk mothers to help each of them have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy first year of life for mother and baby.  Healthy Start works with organizations such as Success 4 Kids & Families, Department of Children and Families, etc.  S4KF focuses on wraparound services to help children with mental illness so they may thrive in the community without the use of institutionalization.  Whereas, other organizations may focus more on medication and institutionalization. 
  This meeting was of interest to me because my minor is behavioral health.  There is a gap in the system between physical health and mental health services delivery.  People do not know much about it so there is not as much opportunity out there for people to seek help for mental illness as there is for physical illness. 
  I was surprised when the representatives spoke about all the resources available in the county because I had no idea there was so much available.  YMCA has a kinship program that helps relatives work toward gaining custody of a child when a parent may be unable.  Another program, Parents as Teachers, helps parents learn valuable things to teach their children.  I was unaware of these resources before attending this meeting. 
  I believe it is kept on the "down-low" because most people with mental illness do not care to talk openly about it.  There is a double-standard with physical and mental illness.  The stigma surrounding mental illness keeps people from seeking the proper treatment.  We need to expand our education to have an open mind and end the stigma.