A look at the state of mental health in metro Atlanta

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, recognizing people living with mental or behavioral health issues and aiming to reduce the stigma surrounding these common experiences. Part of this process involves educating metro Atlanta communities about mental health crises and providing them with ways to help. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five American adults experiences mental illness each year.

Claratel Behavioral Health, until recently the DeKalb Community Service Board, is a public, nonprofit organization located in Atlanta. It serves more than 11,000 uninsured and underinsured patients each year – children, adolescents and adults suffering from mental and behavioral health conditions, developmental disabilities and substance abuse problems.

Claratel is DeKalb County’s largest behavioral health care provider; the crisis center with the largest bed capacity in metro Atlanta; and the only designated behavioral health crisis center in Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale counties. Claratel Behavioral Health’s growth includes a new $25 million crisis center, which will be partially funded by the SPLOST approved in the November 2023 election.

Advocating for comprehensive health care at all levels is essential to helping address the mental health crisis. With the common coexistence of mental health disorders, chronic health conditions, and substance use disorders, a comprehensive approach to health care must address mental health.

The State of Mental Health Treatment in Metro Atlanta

• Atlanta and Georgia desperately need accessible mental health resources. Georgia does not have large-scale, state-funded transitional bed facilities capable of providing clinical and residential services once a person is discharged from a crisis stabilization unit.
• Instead, these individuals are sent home, to shelters, or to limited rehabilitation housing without transitional residential treatment.
• Claratel’s new crisis center will help address this problem by providing a 24-bed transitional therapeutic residential program.

Community Connections

• Members of the Claratel Board of Directors are selected by the DeKalb County CEO and approved by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners. Each board member is a DeKalb County resident with a unique perspective on mental health, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities.
• Claratel is a long-time leader in partnering with law enforcement to better assist people in crisis. For 30 years, Claratel has developed a co-responder program with the DeKalb County Police Department, through which a mobile crisis unit consisting of a clinician and a police officer responds and assesses individuals to determine how best to deal with them. help.
• In 2023, Claratel expanded its co-responder program by entering into agreements with the cities of Dunwoody, Doraville, Decatur and Tucker.

How to help yourself and others

• Learn about mental health, including the specific mental health challenges facing adolescents, seniors, minorities, men, women, and the LGBTQ community, and how each of us can support these groups.
• Understand the impact of mental health problems on the physical, emotional and mental well-being of children, families and communities, and help overcome the stigma surrounding mental health problems.
• Share free mental health support resources from NAMI, mental health clinics like Claratel, counseling centers, support groups, and crisis hotlines.
• Implement strategies to help you perform at your best: exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, find time for yourself, stay positive, and seek professional help when needed. you need.

DeKalb County Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry recently said, “With the growing population of DeKalb County and the greater Atlanta area as a whole, our existing mental health resources are under strain. increased pressure. It is our duty as county officials to increase these resources, which is why I will continue to advocate for mental health funding by supporting initiatives like the new crisis center.

Mental Health Awareness Month highlights disparities in mental health care across the board, but also focuses on organizations dedicated to combatting the mental health crisis in metro Atlanta and in the United States. Claratel is at the forefront of mental health treatment in Atlanta, providing essential services. services and lead initiatives to address gaps in care and reduce stigma surrounding mental health.

By educating ourselves, advocating for comprehensive health care, and supporting organizations like Claratel, we can all help promote mental well-being and build a more supportive community for everyone.

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