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Douglas County proclaims May Mental Health Awareness Month; public speaker urges review of mental-health court processes
Summary
The board adopted a proclamation recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month; a public commenter urged review of local handling of mental-health assessments in court proceedings.
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners on May 20 adopted a resolution proclaiming May as Mental Health Awareness Month and encouraging community awareness and support for mental-health services.
Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson read the resolution noting the role of the county’s Community Mental Health Center and county collaborations with corrections on diversion and support programs. The board approved the proclamation by motion (Borgeson) seconded by Commissioner Rogers; the vote was recorded as 7-0.
Public comment: Larry Stewart (address given on the record) spoke during the public-comment period in support of the proclamation but used his time to press the county and courts to reexamine a prior case he described as involving a grandson with an absence of the corpus callosum and alleged failures to secure a required assessment during judicial proceedings. Stewart said he had provided evidence to a judge and alleged that caretakers had misled the court; he called for additional review so his grandson could obtain a needed assessment.
Why it matters: The proclamation recognizes county mental-health services and outreach. Public comment raised specific concerns about court handling of a disability-related assessment; the board did not take action on that complaint during the meeting and did not identify follow-up steps on Stewart’s request.
Votes at a glance: - Proclamation (Mental Health Awareness Month) — motion by Borgeson; second by Rogers; outcome: approved, 7-0.
Speakers and next steps: Commissioners expressed support for the resolution. The board did not announce an investigation or procedural follow-up to the public comment during the session; citizens may pursue the matter with appropriate county offices.
