Macon Magazine

In 2020 at the start of COVID-19 sweeping our nation, DBHDD opened an emotional support line. The Georgia COVID-19 Emotional Support Line is aimed at helping anyone dealing with stress, anxiety or sadness who wants to talk through it with a professional, or even someone who has gone through the same experience. The line is available 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Call or text 866-399-8938. The Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) is also open 24/7 if immediate help is needed. Both lines are free to everyone. The DBHDD also offers several different programs for a variety of behavioral health services such as substance abuse, mental health for adults and children, prevention and achieving a life of recovery. Find the service that works for you at dbhdd.georgia.gov. While there are free programs and services, state legislators are working to increase mental health care access for everyone. In January 2022, they introduced House Bill 10-13. The bipartisan bill is sponsored by State Reps. Todd Jones and Mary Margaret Oliver. The bill addresses equality in insurance when it comes to mental health. This would mean that people experiencing behavioral health challenges such as depression or substance use disorder are covered equally by insurance, as if it were a physical issue. JOINING FORCES While local healthcare systems continue to provide these programs, people in our community are joining forces to make mental health care even more accessible and friendlier for people who may find seeking help a bit scary. Right after taking office in January 2021, Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller and his administration immediately worked to bridge the gap between mental health access and our community. He worked to find the right people to lead the Macon Mental Health Matters initiative. In February 2021, he introduced the county's partnership with the Southern Center for Choice Theory LLC, a counseling and therapy service organization. The county approved $600,000 in CARES Act funds to provide several free mental health services to people in need. "Because of the no-cost model associated with the Macon Mental Health Matters initiative, we are seeing more people able to access more counseling," said Andrea Cooke, development director at the Southern Center. "And it's being more socially accessible for everyone to talk to somebody. So, removing that barrier of cost has really improved people's ability to access mental health services." Cooke and her team have stayed busy since the initiative's launch. They offer anger management classes, parenting classes, classes for seniors and different support groups. They have traditional counseling, but also offer counseling tied with other activities such as knitting and journaling. Every month, along with Macon Head Space, they hold Mental Health Pop-Up gyms. The gyms go into different neighborhoods throughout Macon-Bibb to offer therapy, yoga and meditation. REACHING OUT TO YOUTH Cooke said the Southern Center is always looking for new ways to reach people, especially the younger generation. "We focus more on working with very young populations because a lot of the research out there is that you have to start early," said Cooke. "Really the only way to change the trajectory of a young person's life is to provide adequate, trauma informed, cultural competence, as well as view young people with cultural humility." Our youth have dealt with a lot during this pandemic, especially those in school. Many missed out on big events like prom and graduation. Others had no choice but to stay home, which can sometimes not be the best situation, said Cooke. Many students turned to school as a safe space, so when the schools shut down, that safe space was no longer there. Macon Mental Health Matters is hoping to go into more schools to talk about counseling and the help that's available to students. In December, Mayor Miller and Cooke's team went to Southwest High School to talk to students about violence prevention and mental health. "We want them to know we are here to help and they are not alone," Cooke said. "We have an opportunity. These young people could either be young people in whom we allow PTSD to win and not provide adequate resources, or we can fix it." As we approach the third year of dealing with COVID-19, it's safe to say we do not know what this year will bring. The number of cases fluctuates, and some places have begun to shut down once again. Fear and anxiety are still lingering with all of us. "We all need to operate with a little more grace and expect the person who we are encountering to have experienced something awful over the last two years, because I think we're all just walking around now, hurt," said Cooke. The important thing to remember is that you are not alone. "People want to have more conversations about mental health because of what we're seeing with the pandemic," said Johnson. "I think that's a good thing, because we should be talking about it. It helps normalize the conversation so people can get the help they need." In future issues, we will continue to explore the importance of mental health. If you know of an organization we should reach out to, email us at hello@maconmagazine.com. DR. SHANNON TERRELL GORDON FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022 | maconmagazine.com 51

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