Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness was proud of a statistic: 57 percent of students in Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools receiving mental health services saw academic improvement.
But there was another fact that stands in the way of progress: Adults have the right to refuse mental health services and often do, even when it is clear the adults are in need of help.
The mayor began an initiative to promote better mental health as long as he has been in the mayor’s office – nearly five years.
Fadness
The city’s “Report To The Community” on the Fishers Mental Health Initiative was full of accomplishments, but also has a number of challenges before it.
The mayor points to the city’s partnership with the local HSE School District and the district’s funding of its own mental health program though passing a voter referendum as major accomplishments. But he also pointed to a Fire Department program featuring EMS Duty Officers (EDOs) that specialize in responding to mainly adult residents with mental health issues.
The work continues and the mayor knows there is a long way to go.
Click here to view the entire 2019 Report To The Community. You can view a video on the initiatives’ accomplishments at this link.