Terre Haute, Vigo talk about mental health

Dec. 6—The stigma hovering over those coping with mental illness "is crazy stupid," Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer said during Wednesday's Mental Health Symposium hosted by Harsha Behavioral Center and Naveen at the Terre Haute Convention Center.

The purpose of the symposium was to "discuss the challenges that we face and the work we have ahead of us," said Roopam Harshawat, Harsha's president and CEO.

Legislators attended the event; the hope was to convince them to approve more funding for mental health issues.

There were panels featuring mental health leaders both local and from around the state and a discussion of mental health and schoolchildren.

The closing session, "Mental Health and a Thriving Community," featured Switzer, Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett and Kristin Craig, Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce executive director.

"The pool [of mental health resources] is not big enough in Terre Haute," Bennett said. "... Funding is always the biggest piece, and the state is beginning to realize this."

Switzer observed, "It's a difficult career field to get into."

Craig said the conversation surrounding mental health has changed in recent years, and Bennett agreed.

But, he added, "There are only so many local dollars" available to spend on mental health, and it can be tricky "to find where you can best invest those dollars."

Children benefit the most and experience the biggest impact from mental healthcare, Bennett added.

Ending the stigma around mental health is a challenge, Switzer said.

"A man's perception is that he has to be tough (and silent), and that's not true," Switzer said. "You should openly admit issues that you have." He admitted he sees a therapist once a month. "I realized I needed to get help," he said.

Bennett lauded the efforts of Terre Haute Police Department social worker Jarom Hawker, who, he noted, defused a situation at City Hall just the day before.

The mayor added that the fire department receives six to seven calls a day on mental issues. Switzer said the sheriff's office receives about 1,000 calls a month from people asking deputies to check on someone.

"People are starting to reach out and seek help," Bennett said. "We need to keep the conversation going."

After his panel, Bennett said the symposium benefits the community.

"Just having these regular public conversations about what issues we face as a community and what are we doing to address those issues," he said. "There was a lot of good information shared today, and ... we're trying to be supportive of our local not-for-profits and providers and help them be successful. Then, we're all successful."

But Harshawat warned that there's a long road ahead. Indiana ranks 41 out of 50 states in terms of the mental health situation, she said. "It's quite bad."

She said her husband Paras, a child and adolescent psychologist, has said the children's mental health wing at a local hospital for ages 3 to 12 was hardly ever full when he began his practice.

"Today, that is the biggest population we house," Harshawat said, adding that the reason things have gotten so much worse is due to substance abuse — addicts giving birth. Children need for their parents to be aware of their issues and provide family support, she said.

"Kids are like glass — once they shatter, it's hard to put them back together," Harshawat said.

All the more reason for symposiums such as Wednesday's, participants noted.

"Every time we do these I feel better personally, because you see more and more people coming to the table and doing more things," Bennett concluded. "That's what it's all about."

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.