'State of the County' address focused on mental health response, breaking down stigma

Greene County Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon emphasized the "abysmal" state of the mental health crises in the nation, state and local area in his annual "State of the County" address Thursday morning.

While the speech is usually centered on different projects and happenings from the past year in the county, this time Dixon turned his attention to recognizing the dire need for mental health resources and the need to have conversations about mental health to break down the remaining stigma around mental illness.

As he addressed the crowd at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce's Good Morning Springfield! event, Dixon asked that they bear with him through the discomfort the topic — which affects everyone — can cause.

"The crisis is real," he said.

Growing demand for help

Dixon cited a variety of statistics to highlight the extent of the crisis. According to an Ozarks Health Commission 2022 report, the suicide mortality rate for the region, which spans from the eastern-most counties in Kansas and Oklahoma to southwest Missouri, is 60% higher than the national average. The Springfield region had the highest rate of depression of any of the regions included in the commission report, also surpassing the state and national averages.

Locally, Dixon said, suicide rates have risen by 30% since 2015.

He emphasized the unique impact mental health can have on veterans, law enforcement and men over 45, who locally are at the highest risk of death by suicide.

"These deaths are preventable," Dixon said.

Getting rid of the stigma around mental health is an important part of convincing people, especially men, to seek the help they need. As Dixon shared his own experience with depression and the anxiety he felt during the COVID-19 pandemic — a period during which he said he received death threats — he emphasized the importance of mental health as a conversation topic. A local campaign by the Healthy Living Alliance of the Ozarks that asks "Hey man, you good?" aims to bring community connection to men in Greene County to encourage mental well-being.

At the Greene County Jail, Dixon said, there are 55 inmates awaiting an inpatient spot for mental health treatment in order to be competent to stand trial.

"The Sheriff's mental health unit at the jail is full and the psychologist has told us that 70% of those in the jail likely have a diagnosable mental illness," he said.

Dixon also highlighted the efforts to bring resources to justice-involved youth through the Youth Mental Health Collaborative, the role the Family Justice Center has played in addressing impacts of exposure to domestic violence, as well as the record attendance at the county's human resources events focused on wellness.

While emphasizing that mental illness does not necessarily result in criminal behavior, Dixon extended his gratitude to those working in public safety who are often the first point of contact for those in a mental health crisis.

Current state of mental health

During his remarks, Dixon reiterated the necessity for easily accessible resources locally.

"The unpleasant truth is that many of our services are hard to navigate at best, even by trained professionals and clinicians," he said. "The overall safety net of mental health services in this country is frayed, tattered and at best a patchwork system. Our local programs are in need of vigorous examination if we're going to continue to grow and to prosper as a region."

He apologized for the heavy nature of the subject matter while noting the necessity of this conversation.

"Not addressing the mental health crisis is costing us not just millions of dollars in money spent cleaning up the misfortunes and unaddressed needs, but it is also costing us quality of life and actual lives," Dixon said.

More: New law, state funding bring mental health treatment into jails, including Greene County

In his final remarks, he called on the community to problem solve and think bigger.

"We can and we must as a community go upstream," Dixon said. "As a community we cannot accept the abysmal mental health care anymore in this country. We begin here and we take care of ourselves in this area. We do that first. We must scale up. We have so many pieces of a good health care system. But we also have gaping holes and systematic problems. We are a health care hub, but we could be a mecca."

Additional county updates

In a very brief overall update, Dixon said the county is "in a very strong position," although revenues have been declining, with sales tax revenues down 9.4% from the same month last year. This is the fourth consecutive month that sales tax receipts have been in decline.

The "State of the County" report to citizens highlights how the county has invested American Rescue Plan Act funds, supported new facilities like a new juvenile detention facility and the Youth Behavioral Crisis Center and focused on various street infrastructure.

Some key takeaways from the report:

• A new specialized high-risk victim's deputy juvenile officer was hired to review issues related to human trafficking, chronic runaways and other youth that are at risk of victimization and exploitation;

• As of July 31, 2023, more than 1,500 cases of certain marijuana-related charges had been expunged as required by the state legislature;

• The county has been approved to receive a $48,600 grant through the Ozarks Transportation Organization's 2023 Vehicle Charging Program. With the money, Greene County plans to install four universal electric vehicle car charging ports in the parking lot adjacent to the Historic Courthouse.

Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Contact her with tips at mmieze@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Mental health crisis requires more Greene County resources: Official