Aug 4, 2022
We hear it, again and again. A shooting erupts. Horrified neighbors make anxious calls for help. Someone, ends up dead. We’ve had several instances like that, just in the past week in Portland alone. In one case, a 19-year-old with a gun, shot and killed during a domestic violence call. In another, a 5-year-old’s with her dad, as he's firing round after round from a gun on his property in Southeast Portland. He died too. After recent mass shootings across the country, we hear, again and again, about the need for more mental health services and support. The new national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline opened on July 16th. It’s taking calls, at more than 160 call centers throughout the country, connecting people in trouble to therapists, services, and hopefully, compassion. So how can we work together and save lives, break down the stigma that too often surrounds mental health? This week, I’m continuing the conversation that we started in my last episode, with Allison Stark. She is the new Chief Executive Officer of Albertina Kerr. It’s a 115 year old, Portland non profit that provides children’s mental health services, as well as programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She offers some powerful insight, into the state of mental health services in our country, how to really see it when someone you know or love or care about, is in trouble. And, what you can do about it.