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Morrow County proclaims Mental Health Month; officials preview Meadows Center services and new video series
Summary
The Morrow County Board of Commissioners proclaimed May 2024 as Mental Health Month and heard a presentation about a five-part video series and the renovated Meadows Center in Mount Gilead, which county leaders say will bring crisis and behavioral health services locally. Sheriff Jonathan said the county logged 141 mental-health calls in 2022.
The Morrow County Board of Commissioners on May 6 declared May 2024 Mental Health Month and heard presentations about a new video series and progress at the Meadows Center in Mount Gilead.
Steve Brown, who introduced the five-part video series intended to prompt community conversations about behavioral health, said the videos will appear on the county’s Facebook, YouTube and Instagram channels and are intended to make it easier for people to discuss mental-health concerns. "When others go first," Brown said, "it's easier to talk about" mental health, framing the series as a stigma-reduction tool.
Morrow County Sheriff Jonathan, who identified himself during remarks, described how mental-health needs have affected local law enforcement. "In 2022, we... had a 141 mental health calls just in Morrow County alone," he said, and credited Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training delivered by the Delaware Memorial Health Recovery Board with improving deputies' ability to spot mental-health crises and connect people to services.
Sheriff Jonathan and other speakers said the renovated Meadows Center in Mount Gilead will bring services that previously required residents to travel out of county. "With the Meadows Center getting renovated and getting expanded on it and services are now gonna be provided in Mount Gilead in Morrow County," he said, adding that local access should reduce trips to emergency departments when safe alternatives exist.
A board representative described the center’s expected tenants and timeline: the meeting referenced a crisis hotline provider listed as "Mary Haven helpline," and two crisis providers referenced as "Sentaro" and "Southeast." Staff said four providers are expected in the building and tours are being scheduled; the earliest realistic move-in target offered in the meeting was late fall to early winter, with a pessimistic target of Jan. 1, and staff cautioned those dates are contractual and contingent on finishing steps and staffing.
Board members and presenters emphasized workforce and retention as constraints for providers and urged community support. The board approved the mental-health proclamation by voice/roll-call vote and will host additional local outreach tied to the video series and the Meadows Center timeline.
