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May Is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month across the country, and locally, local advocates have a lot going on to bring the issue into a more prominent light.

Lynn Scovill is the Executive Director of the DeWitt County Human Resource Center. She feels mental health and getting help for individuals with an illness could be addressed more in today's society. She says mental illness is not something abnormal in society today.

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Scovill points out, the majority of people that struggle with a mental illness lead normal lives, but she says the problems begin when someone has a severe mental illness. She feels sometimes in society, there is a disconnect with how to properly approach and communicate with that person.

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For Scovill, one of the major challenges in getting proper help to these patients is the funding. Non-profit groups like HRC and others rely on funds coming from the state and federal government. However, when money isn't coming in from the state of Illinois, it makes maintaining their services very difficult.

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Not receiving funding that is counted on for groups like HRC can have a great impact. Scovill says there are programs that are in place that have good intentions, but when the money doesn't follow those programs, it makes it hard for them to be effective.

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Next Tuesday in Clinton, a documentary created by Clinton native and journalist, Edith Brady-Lunny, will be shown. The documentary highlights the struggles of incarcerated inmates that deal with mental illnesses. HRC along with other local groups will be a part of a panel at the end of the showing that will discuss the film and solutions.

We'll have more on the showing next week on Regional Radio News.

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