Jim Krueger (Newbridge Executive Director)
Some tragic events have occurred lately that have heightened conversation about a national mental health crisis and how to address the matter. It’s easy to point the finger at the person’s family for not recognizing the signs or assuming they did nothing to act on the issue. The fact of the matter is signs of a mental health crisis can differ from person to person and sometimes others either don’t know the signs or pick up on them.
A mental health crisis is when someone’s behaviors prevent them from functioning or indicate they might harm themselves or others. In many instances a family member has tried to help the individual. It’s not as simple to identify or address a mental health crisis as some people believe. Having a heightened awareness about mental illnesses and the behavioral signs associated with it can help us better understand its complexity. Even after intervention, an individual with mental health issues can still have behavior challenges.
The most critical and biggest sign someone might be dealing with a mental health challenge is a desire to harm themselves or others. This desire marks a severe mental crisis that may turn into an emergency. In instances where you notice someone’s behavior is concerning or abnormal, contact 911 and ask them to send an appropriate professional to assess/handle the situation. Even if you have misread the situation, it’s better to bring it to a professional’s attention.
We have seen a significant increase in older adults with very complex mental health needs. It’s not any easy fix. Dane County has a decent amount of resources to address mental health illness in our community. This need will continue to grow and more resources are needed now so everyone has access to mental health prevention, intervention and treatment services when needed.
