Mayor Lester Miller held a news conference on Friday, February 19 to announce a potential new partnership that would provide free mental health services at six sites around the county. If approved by the Commission, the Southern Center for Choice Theory would begin building a coalition of partners and residents to identify the specific needs in each neighborhood.
“Improving public safety was the top priority identified by our Transition Team, and we must do all we can to create a safe community,” says Mayor Miller. “With this new program, we can begin to address one of the root causes of crime and really help people in our neighborhoods.”
Within eight weeks, they would begin providing needed services to people in the following neighborhoods: Pleasant Hill at the Booker T. Washington Center, Pio Nono Avenue area, Pendleton Homes, West Macon (Cherokee Heights/Bartlett Crossing area), East Macon at the Rosa Jackson Center, Bloomfield-Gilead Center on Rocky Creek Road, and Payne City at the Brookdale Warming Center. Services provided could include: mental health counseling, conflict resolution counseling, financial counseling, anger management classes, parenting classes, trauma assessments, solving circles, drum circles, and focus groups.
“I work with people who are the recipients of mental health services prior to and after criminal offenses. One of the things I’ve learned, is that if we work on their mental health, early childhood mental health, teach parents how to parent their kids, and start early, then we can change things in our community,” says Gloria Smith Cisse, the CEO and Clinical Director of the Southern Center for Choice Theory. “This initiative is one more opportunity for those in our community with unmet mental health needs, that’s 33% of our citizens, to have access to quality mental health. It’s a compassionate and holistic approach to reducing negative outcomes.”
“The sheriff deals with a lot of our mental health issues on the back end. The school system, even though they have a lot of professionals, they are not fully equipped to deal with all the different needs our families have.” Said District 3 Commissioner Elaine Lucas, who is also a former teacher and school counselor. “I’m a big proponent of building healthy children, families, and communities on the front end, so we relieve some of the work the sheriff and others have to do on the back end. And I whole-heartedly support this initiative.”
In the Blueprint for a Renewed Macon-Bibb, the report provided to the Mayor by his Transition Team, increasing access to mental health support services was identified as a way to address Public Safety and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
To watch the announcement, click here.