By Vivian Shipe
KNOXVILLE, TN — “The house won’t fall if the bones are good”…these words were part of the stirring remarks made by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Marie Williams at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of The Mental Health Association of East Tennessee this past Friday.
A powerful and long time advocate with a passion for helping others, Commissioner Williams, LCSW, is a leader in Behavioral Health Services. In her remarks, Commissioner Williams spoke of the strength and dedication of the agency over the last 75 years.
Strong agencies that can stay the course are greatly needed as the state of mental health in the country has risen to a crisis level post covid. The 2022 data from Mental Health America indicates that post covid, almost 20 percent of Americans are experiencing some type of mental illness.
As she read from a list of MHAET accomplishments, the commissioner acknowledged Ben Harrington, the Executive Director, and had the board and staff members stand to acknowledge them for a job well done.
Among the many first from the list Commissioner Williams had compiled; MHAET was the first to provide mental help in the schools through its Mental Health 101 programs. This is especially significant as the latest data from the CDC indicates over 15 percent of children in America are experiencing mental illness with suicide the second leading cause of death among students ages 15 to 24.
The Mental Health 101 program in middle and high schools works to reduce the stigma of mental illness and includes a curriculum and resources with a focus on youth suicide prevention.
The Mental Health Association of East Tennessee was the first in the country to earn the Bell Seal for workplace mental health certification, and the first to establish a peer recovery call center. Commissioner Williams explained how powerful such a program run by those who share the lived experience was in its ability to let people know they have been there and they too can get through this.
More information about the programs offered by the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, founded in 1948 by Helen Ross McNabb, can be found at www.mhaet.com
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