WLWT NEWS FIVE. ALL RIGHT, BRIAN, THANKS SO MUCH. KENTUCKY LEADERS ARE ADDRESSING A GROWING CONCERN RIGHT NOW ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, SPECIFICALLY SUICIDES. THEY WANT TO GET RESOURCES TO PEOPLE WHO TRULY NEED IT. EARLIER THIS YEAR, FIVE TEENAGERS DIED BY SUICIDE IN BOONE COUNTY. WITHIN TWO MONTHS. WLWT NEWS FIVE’S LINDSEY STONE EXPLAINS THE WORK THAT CONTINUES TO HOPEFULLY SAVE LIVES. ONE OF THE TOPICS BEING DISCUSSED TODAY AND HIGHLIGHTED IS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. LOCAL AND STATE LAWMAKERS ARE COMING TOGETHER TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT’S BEING DONE AND THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE. WE’RE SEEING IT ACROSS THE BOARD. INCREASE IN SUICIDES AND LIVES LOST AND OVERDOSES. KENTUCKY LEGISLATORS HOSTING A COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY ON A VARIETY OF HEALTH SERVICES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. BUT ONE TOPIC IN PARTICULAR, COMING INTO FOCUS MENTAL HEALTH. WE’RE REALLY EXPERIENCING QUITE THE EPIDEMIC OF MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE STATE’S 988 LINE, OPERATING AROUND THE CLOCK. WE GET THOUSANDS OF CALLS AND TEXTS A MONTH. DANIELLE RYAN IS THE CEO OF NORTH KEY COMMUNITY SERVICES, WHICH PROVIDES COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY. DURING TODAY’S MEETING, GROUPS FROM ACROSS THE STATE SHARING THE STARTLING TRENDS BEGINNING TO FORM. WE’RE GETTING REQUESTS FROM DAYCARES TO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH THERAPISTS AND TECHNICIANS COME IN AND PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. SO WE’RE SEEING IT ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE, IN SUICIDES AND LIVES LOST AND OVERDOSES. EARLIER THIS YEAR, FIVE TEENAGERS DIED BY SUICIDE IN BOONE COUNTY IN AN EIGHT WEEK PERIOD. TODAY, STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS DISCUSSING NEW STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE NO COMMUNITY EVER FACES ANOTHER LIFE LOST. SO TO SEE THAT WE’VE GOT A COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, COMING TOGETHER AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEED AND THEN SUPPORTING IT AND TALKING ABOUT IT, THAT’S WHERE THE HELP STARTS. THAT’S THAT’S WHERE PEOPLE START GETTING THE SUPPORT AND THE HELP THAT THEY NEED. AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE STATEWIDE, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THAT ON OUR WEBSITE, WLWT.CO

Advertisement Kentucky leaders working to get mental health resources to people who need help Editorial Standards ⓘ

The Kentucky General Assembly held a joint committee meeting Wednesday to address a growing concern about mental health. State and local leaders came together to talk about the work being done and what needs to continue.“We’re really experiencing quite the epidemic of mental health and behavioral health challenges in our community,” said Danielle Amrine, CEO of NorthKey Community Care.NorthKey provides community mental health resources.According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults experience a mental illness each year, and nearly 746,000 in Kentucky. But there’s growing concern for the youngest population.“We’re seeing definitely some different issues nowadays than we did in the past,” said Angela Fox, Behavioral Health Youth Treatment, NorthKey. “It’s no longer just as simple as I’m sad or I don’t want to go to school or things of that nature. You know, we’re seeing increased suicides.”Earlier this year, five teenagers died by suicide in Boone County within two months. Fox, who works inside schools, is focused on getting more resources to Kentucky kids.“They can call our crisis line, and the mobile unit can show up and help do the assessment to determine if there really is intent,” Fox said.During Wednesday’s committee hearing, leaders also highlighted the state’s 988 helpline.“We get thousands of calls and texts a month,” Amrine said. “What keeps me up at night is making sure that people have access to services. That’s what we’re here for. If somebody is hurting, they can reach out and talk to somebody. If somebody is struggling they have a resource, they have a lifeline to be able to safely plan and talk with somebody about what their challenges are.”To learn more about the resources available, check out the links below: https://dbhdid.ky.gov/mh https://namiky.org https://www.northkey.org https://988.ky.gov