Smith County Declares Mental Health Awareness Month

TYLER — The local president of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Valerie Holcomb, presented the Smith County Commissioners Court with a green wreath Tuesday commemorating Mental Health Awareness Month. Commissioner JoAnn Hampton accepted the wreath after reading a resolution declaring May Mental Health Awareness Month during the commissioners’ meeting. “It is important for society to become more aware of the issues and take more action when it comes to mental illness,” Commissioner Hampton said.

Mental Health Awareness Day will be observed on Saturday, May 2, and NAMI will host a Health Fair and a rally to “Stamp out Stigma” at Shiloh Road Church of Christ. The organization also plans for local houses of worship to observe “Mental Health Awareness Sunday” during services on Sunday, May 3.

Mental Health Awareness Month encourages all citizens to educate themselves concerning the needs of and resources for the mentally ill in order to promote a better understanding of mental health needs and services available in the community. Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, daily functioning and ability to relate to others and can affect persons of any age, race or religion.