Get Healthy Carson City: Together for mental health

Statewide efforts are taking place to address the mental health crisis throughout Nevada. There are five behavioral health coordinators, appointed by the governor, who serve throughout Nevada to assist communities in developing collaborative partnerships to address the needs in each community. The Carson City Behavioral Health Taskforce came together in February 2015 and has been meeting monthly to address the barriers and gaps related to mental health in Carson City.

A Guide for Navigating Youth Behavioral Health Systems has been created to provide information for families whose youth are experiencing behavioral and/or mental health concerns.

With education and awareness, we strive to fight the stigma of mental health. The guide provides numerous resources throughout Nevada such as SafeVoice; this is an anonymous reporting system used to report threats to the safety or well-being of students. You can make a report in both English and Spanish by using any of the following options: The SafeVoice Nevada App available from the Apple Store or Google Play, online at safevoicenv.org or call 833-216-7233.

The guide also includes answers to the frequently asked questions: Will I be blamed if my child is experiencing mental health issues? Things like anxiety, depression, autism, and learning disorders are thought to have biological causes. Parenting isn’t to blame. But parents play a central role by providing support and care that is crucial to their child’s recovery.

You can find the Guide for Navigating Youth Behavioral Health Systems at https://nvbh.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ParentsGuideforYMH10.pdf. You can also find more information about the Behavioral Health Policy Boards throughout the state.

In 2020, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was passed by Congress establishing 988 as a three-digit nationwide mental health and suicidal crisis number to be available in communities by July 2022. The implementation of 988 will be nationwide and will include appropriate resources.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides the following statistics:

• 1 in 5 U.S adults experience mental illness each year, and less than half of them receive treatment

• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience a serious mental illness each year, and less than two-thirds receive treatment

• 1 in 6 youth experience a mental health condition each year, and only half of them receive treatment

• 50 percent of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24

• The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years

• 55 percent of U.S. counties do not have a single practicing psychiatrist

https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/downloads/2021-Partner-Guide.pdf

The mental health of our residents is important to Carson City Health and Human Services and the Carson City Behavioral Task Force. For additional resources and information about our Department programs and services, check out our website at www.gethealthycarsoncity.org, “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cchhs, follow us on Twitter @CCHealthEd, call us at 775-887-2190, or visit us at 900 E. Long St., in Carson City.