Bringing a local focus with realistic expectations and goals is the idea behind a working group being coordinated by a local mental health organization.

Jessica Smiley with Heritage Behavioral Health Services indicates they have brought together several community stakeholders from school leaders and social workers to community members. She says losses of young people in recent years propelled the group's formation.

According to Smiley, now that they have a group of local folks at the table, they are moving into the goal-setting phase and deciding what they want to focus on.

As the group continues to meet, to make their goals manageable, Smiley explains they want to focus on what can be done that does not require everyone to be together and they have targeted a couple of early initiatives to meet that goal.

Smiley says the group is meeting roughly once-a-month and they have been meeting since early on in the fall. 

For anyone interested in reaching out to Heritage for any emotional or mental health challenges they may be facing, you can reach them at 217-362-6262 or you can text Heritage at 552020.