May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Dear Editor:
Today, approximately 1 out of 5 Americans is suffering with a mental health issue, and approximately 1 in 25 adults is experiencing a serious mental illness that substantially interferes with major life activities. The pandemic has further compounded the impact on mental health. Admissions to ERs have increased along with the rate of suicides and fatal overdoses. And 76 percent of workers have indicated they are struggling with mental health challenges, up from 59 percent in 2019, per April figures from the National Actional Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
Left unaddressed, the negative impact will increase. The time to act is now.
I have the privilege of serving many members of our community who are experiencing some of the most challenging times of their lives – mental illnesses that are often invisible to the casual observer in ways that physical illnesses are not. As a behavioral health industry, we must build capacity to serve the need — attracting new providers, expanding our workforce, investing in prevention, and reducing barriers to care.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, providing an opportunity for reflection and collective action to address the stigma preventing individuals from getting the care they need.
The good news is that there is hope and available resources for recovery. Today, positive outcomes are not only possible, they are experienced every day. Like chronic physical illness, mental illness can be diagnosed and effectively managed. Individuals who were once in despair can go on to live their best lives. This is highly rewarding and one reason I chose to work in this field.
What can we do within our communities to recognize the signs of mental health challenges and assist those in need of care and treatment?
Listen and show understanding: If you suspect a loved one is struggling, offer to listen and encourage them to seek professional help.
Share the Lifeline number (800-273-TALK) – a 24/7, free and confidential support line. Military veterans may press ‘1’ for dedicated support.
Learn about implementation of the new 988 crisis line in your community this summer.
In case of acute emergency, dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Suicide is often preventable when people at risk receive the support that they need. Our schools should encourage students to pursue
Our schools should encourage students to pursue careers in mental health fields, whether through nursing, medical or vocational programs. We need to inspire the next generation of talented professionals.
Our community must align for the best outcomes to support these vulnerable individuals. Working together, we can improve the lives of Americans suffering with mental health concerns, not just during this month, but every month in every community across the country.
Rod Letterman
CEO, La Amistad Behavioral Health Services
Addressing County Commissioner salaries
Dear Editor:
It’s no secret Constitutional Officers in most Florida counties are grossly overpaid. Many ask why, or can we reduce their wages? Constitutional Officers will respond, “This is g overned by the state,” leading many to believe that it is out of their hands. In Osceola County, each Commissioner is paid at a rate of about $89,140 annually.
Let’s go into the “why.” 1973’s Florida Constitution implemented an equation to calculate official’s salaries, based on population, group rates and annual factor. Explaining what all this means would make this far longer than needed, but my purpose is to point out a flaw that leads to the overpayment of officials. That flaw is that the equation uses population as the factor to calculate pay.
Florida has seen a drastic boom in growth and is now the third most populous state in the nation. As we grow, Constitutional Officer pay continues to increase right along with it, but there are solutions.
First, Florida law allows for the voluntary reduction of salaries. “Chapter 145, Florida Statutes: each member of a board… was authorized to voluntarily reduce his or her salary rate.” So any Commissioner who says they can’t is a liar. Second, we have the remedy of adjusting our home rule charter. This provides the county’s electors with a mechanism to alter county government and constitutional officers’ status. A county charter can be adjusted to give a county-specific way of calculating wages. It’s a tough process, but it can be done with public effort.
I have pointed out the problem and how to replace it, but with what? The median wage of the county must dictate the salary. This takes away the incentive for officials to focus on population and steer them to wages. By attaching these official’s wages to resident income, areas will start to see a drastic change. We are currently only focused on low wage tourist industries that lead to nothing but bedroom communities and provide no high wage jobs. Not only will you see local officials focus change, but they will also want to stop the growth that many fret about consistently.
This could lead to taxpayer savings. In areas such as Osceola County, where the population is high but wages are low, official’s salaries would see drastic decreases. The savings could lead to more tax dollars in general funds, which can either be used to provide increased public services or tax decreases.
We live in a system that rewards officials for creating growth, while providing no incentive for wage growth. We must have wages of these officials dictated by the median income and not by population; otherwise, we will continue to see not only drastic growth, but drastic pay raises for officials that do nothing for our community.
Marcos Marrero
Kissimmee
Bringing a voice to St. Cloud
Dear Editor:
The work we will accomplish in the next 4 years will be some of the most important work as a community we have ever had to deal with.
The decisions we make today will affect the blueprint of our community and shape the future of the generations beyond us.
I wanted to take a minute and provide my thoughts on what my vision is regarding the relationship between our residents, elected officials, and their government.
The No. 1 Priority of an elected official is to provide a voice for the citizens, neighbors, and friends who elected them to serve. They have been elected to the office for that reason, none other.
I believe in a local government that encourages citizen participation, where the concerns of the citizens are addressed in an efficient, organized, and communicative manor.
If a citizen brings their concerns to the local government, they need to be addressed. Whether action is taken or not, it is the responsibility and duty of government to at least provide a response and follow up to a concern that was raised, including the reason a decision not to act was chosen. Sometimes the local government is bound by rules, regulations, budget constraints or the funds allocated are restricted, but this information needs to be communicated properly.
When was the last time you spoke at a city council meeting and you felt your concerns were falling on deaf ears? It shouldn’t be that way. Our City Council meetings should be a place where we go to raise our concerns and are fully confident our government will take action.
I believe in a local government that works together with the community to accomplish common goals. Goals set forth by the citizens who reside in our community, not developers. We need to focus on the issues we already have, not throwing out the red carpet to every national homebuilder we can.
We need to focus on our roads, sidewalks, drainage issues, water quality, maintenance and up keep of our parks and recreation areas, streamline building permits, work with our small businesses to loosen local regulations, support our police, fire and ems personnel, and invest in programs to assist those with mental health issues, substance abuse problems and/or face homelessness.
Our local government spends the majority of its resources on managing the overwhelming amount of growth, but fails to understand they are the ones who created a breeding ground for developers in the first place.
Some say you shouldn’t over promise and underdeliver, but one thing I can promise you, is I will do everything in my power to shift the focus away from developers and back to the concerns of the citizens.
I will hold those accountable who continue to support irresponsible growth, refuse to communicate with our citizens, and turn a blind eye to the concerns of our friends and neighbors.
Shawn Fletcher
St. Cloud
Candidate For City Council Seat 5
