Letter to the Editor: Dare to be aware

To the Editor:

A “shout out” to the Mental Health Awareness Team (MHAT) of North Fayette Valley High School. It would be impossible to calculate the amount of time and emotion that the team of young adults put into its efforts providing support for mental health concerns while struggling through adolescence and going to school.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Those of us involved in mental health awareness efforts, and/or who have lived experiences of mental health issues, wore the color green for the MHAT North Fayette Valley school assembly Friday, May 6.

The moving presentation involved speakers, members of the community and students stepping forward to present on the reality of their experiences. On behalf of North Fayette Valley’s MHA Team, senior Krista Moellers also presented the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Northeast Iowa with a generous donation they raised through events the team sponsored throughout the school year.

NAMI Northeast Iowa is an affiliate of NAMI Iowa.  They offer classes, trainings and support groups for persons living with or experiencing mental health concerns and their families. The Northeast Iowa affiliate includes five Iowa counties in alphabetical order: Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek.

I do hope the MHA Team continues at North Valley Fayette as a model for all school systems in rural Iowa.  There is limited support in rural areas for individuals with mental health issues attached to an abundance of stigma, negativity and bullying. Among the most effective interventions is support from those who have personal experience. This is why NAMI Northeast Iowa is such an important effort.

Seeing all those green shirts that day was wonderful. Remember, as Kermit the Frog says, “It’s not easy being green.”

Thank you,
Annie Gallagher
NAMI
Northeast Iowa Board