With May being recognized as National Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to take some time to talk about mental health here in our own community. Over the years, I have written on the subject of wellness, of which Mental Wellness is a critical piece. Just as with the other components of wellness, there can be various degrees or conditions. When we look at physical wellness, it isn’t all or nothing. We each have our current state of fitness or nutrition, which we are either working to improve or are satisfied with. Mental Health is much the same. Each of us experiences transitions and swings from day to day, week to week, or year to year. For any of us to say we are in a perpetual state of happiness or positivity would be disingenuous.

For most of us, we are able to maintain an ability to function even as our mental wellness fluctuates. However, there are those who are not so fortunate. Their mental state can create a real and absolute barrier to even the simplest of tasks. The behavior exhibited by those experiencing such significant challenges can, in turn, challenge those around them.

At times the interactions may not seem logical, or the statements without reason, causing us to retract and isolate ourselves from the behavior we are not comfortable with. Scenarios such as this have been part of our society for many years in communities across the country, but just as with many aspects of cultural change, we here in Kewaunee County have been somewhat isolated from them.

For those of us in Law Enforcement and our partners in the mental health professions, we have been responding and providing resources to those who find themselves in a state of mental health crisis for many years. Our response options have ranged from short-term emergency detention in a care facility to crisis plans that allow the individual to remain in the community with the support of family and local resources. It is always the goal to provide such resources that will allow the individual to regain a functional state of mental wellness. In many cases, this is exactly what has happened, but for some, their mental state does not allow them to fully regain that ability. For some, they exist in a delicate balance between functional independence and debilitating dysfunction. So, how do we as a community respond in those instances? How do we show patience and compassion to those whose behavior challenges our social norms? How do we as a community balance empathy for their condition with accountability regarding their behavior?

These are challenges that will test us both as individuals and as communities. We pride ourselves on being from a community that supports each other. We have come together during times of personal tragedy and struggle for so many throughout the years, and these challenges will require the same response. It is easy to show care for those who stay within the social and behavioral expectations. It is not as easy when those who need our help and support display behavior that results in our initial human response of retraction and isolation. We must continue to work together so that those experiencing struggle are not met with judgement or alienation, but rather compassion and inclusion.