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Letter: Take time to learn about mental illness

Posted on October 7, 2010October 13, 2010 by Staff

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) takes place Oct. 3-9. It’s an opportunity to learn more about serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The good news is that treatment does work and recovery and stability are possible, but stigma is a major barrier to people seeking help when they need it. The more people know, the better they can help themselves or their loved ones get the support they need.

When mental health care is cut, greater costs often result from lost jobs and careers, broken families, more homelessness, higher insurance costs, more welfare and much more expensive costs for hospital emergency rooms, nursing homes, schools, police and courts, jails and prisons.

OPC Area Program is the local governmental agency responsible for oversight and management of publicly funded mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse services in Orange, Person and Chatham counties. OPC provides screening, triage and referral for individuals needing services in the area; recruits and monitors an array of community service providers; and manages the distribution of state monies for services to consumers.

If you think you or your family is in need of and may qualify for publicly funded services, you can call OPC’s Screening, Triage, Access and Referral (STAR) Line at 913-4100 or 1-800-233-6834. To learn about formal and informal resources of various kinds, please call our Customer Service line at 913-4120 or 1-888-277-2303. Learn more about our programs at opcareaprogram.org.

Judy R. Truitt
Director, OPC Area Program

1 thought on “Letter: Take time to learn about mental illness”

  1. Pingback: Poor countries neglect mentally ill: UN agency – Reuters

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