HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — In Warner Robins today, a small but impactful effort took place to support mental health awareness in schools, as Mental Health Matters of Middle Georgia recognized 988 Day.
Local leaders gathered at a mental health counseling office, assembling resource packets for school counselors in the Houston County School District. These packets contain essential information about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a resource designed to help students in crisis and connect them with immediate support.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to raise awareness about mental health resources available to young people and their families in the community. Judge Katherine Lumsden, who presides over the Houston Mental Health Accountability Court, has been leading these efforts since 2015.
“If somebody you love had diabetes or heart disease, you take them to the doctor, you get them medicine, you'd stand by them as they walked around the block or did whatever the doctor said was a treatment, right?” Lumsden said. “That’s what we need to be doing with mental illness.”
Judge Lumsden emphasized the importance of open conversations about mental health.
“We can help people in the community understand that just because a person they know and love has a mental illness, it's not a secret you have to hide from your friends and family,” she said. “It’s okay to ask for help, and that’s the message we want to spread.”
Perry Police Chief Alan Everidge, who has been involved with the Mental Health Accountability Court since its inception, echoed Lumsden’s sentiment.
“We want to do away with the stigma,” Everidge said. “It’s okay to say you’ve got an issue, and it’s okay to go get help.”
Chief Everidge noted that the Mental Health Court has made a significant impact over the past nine years, helping individuals regain control of their lives.
“We’ve seen success stories like people getting out, getting straight, starting work, and even regaining custody of their children,” Lumsden said. "And this is a handout in the sense that the system says here's your consequence. We're gonna give you a chance to change your life, we're gonna help you do that."
The 988 Lifeline is a nationwide resource for anyone in emotional distress, and the folks at today’s event hopes this helps Houston County schools have the materials they need to promote this vital service. These efforts aim to make it easier for counselors to reach students in need and provide them with immediate mental health support.
The packets will be distributed to schools across Houston County in the coming days, offering counselors the tools they need to help students access critical resources like the 988 Lifeline. 988 Day is on Sunday, September 8.