Mental Health Leaders Address Key Issues at Annual Lafayette Conference

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Transcript

00:00The Mental Health Care Forum Legislative Group hosted a conference in Lafayette to discuss

00:04pressing mental health issues. Topics included 988 Crisis Hotline, sustainable funding, and the

00:10impact of Senate Bill 1 in Indiana. Brandi Christensen is President and CEO of Mental

00:15Health America Wabash Valley Region. We went from 39th in the nation overall for mental health

00:22to 24th in one year. The President and CEO of Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers

00:29Zoe France points out the money saved by not putting people in mental crises in hospitals

00:34or jails. 45 million dollars in our jails by offering crisis services statewide and 80 million

00:41in hospitals. Purdue Associate Research Professor Dr. Nicole Adams shared key data from the past

00:46year. We had 30 suicides in our county. That is eight more than the year before. 16 percent of

00:52people aged 13 to 30 experience frequent mental distress. How many people is that? Over 25,000.

01:00Star City News asked several forum participants with the Mental Health Care Forum Legislative

01:04Group what it meant to be at this conference. President and CEO of Ankit Foundation Pushpa

01:09Topo shared her personal journey of advocacy on mental health after her son died in 2022.

01:14I dedicated my time and energy to the fullest level to the mental health. How I can be a little part

01:23to make the difference, it is very important for me. Licensed Psychologist and Senior Director of

01:28Clinical Services Dr. Monique Kulkarni has been a part of Valley Oaks for 11 years and the annual

01:33forum for two. I work with people who want to provide that access in the moment when somebody

01:40asks for help. We know how hard it is to make that first call. I didn't have a lot to do with

01:45policy before I moved over here. It was a little intimidating. It makes me reflect on the

01:52deepening relationships that I actually have with the people that represent us. For more information

01:58and links visit StarCityTV.com. Madison Diehl, Star City News, Downtown Lafayette.