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Marblehead's Mental Health Task Force gets down to work

Wicked Local North - 11/3/2021

Nov. 3—When debating ideas for a speakers series, the town's Mental Health Task Force decided to cast a wide net but keep the advice shared close to home.

Board of Health member Joanne Miller, who sits on the task force, said the thought was to bring in one speaker who could speak to all the potential issues the audience might bring.

"But then we thought, we have so much expertise living in our community that are very happy to share some of their insights and advice," Miller said. "So we reached out to a number of local professionals and they were excited to extend their voice."

The task force built a panel that includes Dr. Howard Abrams, Adam Ciccio, a licensed mental health counselor, licensed social worker Sharon Doliber from the Council on Aging, Marblehead High School social worker/adjustment counselor Gina Hart, Dr. Kimberly Howard, Dr. Mark Libon, who is also a licensed mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist and alcohol & drug counselor, Melissa R. Kaplowitch, Ph.D, and Police Chief Dennis King. The event will be moderated by Dr. Kimberly Leventhal.

The panel discussion will be held Monday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Marblehead High School auditorium and it will be televised by MHTV, Miller said.

Miller said they liked the idea of keeping it local.

"Why invite someone from outside the community when we have people here who know and understand some of the problems that need to be addressed," she said.

Task Force member and Selectman Moses Grader agreed.

"It does such a great job in de-stigmatizing the whole issue and having it local and having touchpoints that are close to you are important," he said. "It's great."

Grader and Miller are just two members of the Task Force that was put together earlier this year in light of the COVID-19 epidemic.

According to the town's website, it was thought to be an important undertaking "because we know that history has shown that the mental health impact of disasters outlasts the physical impacts."

The task force also includes Kaplowich, Leventhal, and Howard, along with Marblehead High School Principal Dan Bauer, Village School Guidance Counselor Jeff Newsome, COA Executive Director Lisa Hooper and former Board of Health member Michelle Gottlieb.

Miller, who won the BOH seat vacated by Gottlieb when her family moved out of town, said Gottlieb has so much experience both leading and in the mental health arena, she volunteered to stay on the board despite her circumstances. With Ben Day's departure from the Marblehead Counseling Center, the task force is also reaching out to the new executive director, Theresa Delehaunty as well as Teri McDonough, Miller added.

The hope is that the more mental health is talked about the more accepted it becomes, Miller said.

"I believe to a large extent that we all outsource our sanity to one another as we communicate and interact — which is why I think it is so important to maintain our civility and respect for one another as Marbleheaders, neighbors, friends and families," said Grader. "And I view professional access to mental health as just another deepening in the continuum of conversation and caring — simply with more structure and medical experience behind the care."

Miller said society needs to let go of the stigma so that when people have something they're worried about they seek help.

"Because the help is there," she said. "That is hopefully being complemented by the website."

The website, https://marbleheadcares.org/, is the task force's other main initiative. The website is a place that can be accessed by anyone in the community and serve as a map to connect people to resources that are in place but often hidden, Miller explained.

Modeled after a website developed by the Lexington Mental Health Task Force, the site was built by Flat Rock Creative owner/designer Peter Schalck.

"He's been absolutely fantastic," Grader said. "We went in and basically sketched a rough idea of what we wanted to do and we had a rough idea based on another town's website, we also had resources were were aggregating and he just went right to work not only developing the logo of Marblehead Cares but set up the website completely pro bono, completely gratis ... he gave us a lot forward momentum in an important time I think."

"His expertise was such relief and a gift, he's so generous," Miller agreed.

The website will be continually updated as new needs arise and new resources can be found, Miller said. She said the task force will also continue to bring in speakers and she is hopeful Monday's launch will bring feedback from the community along with a better understanding of what the needs might be for future speakers.

"Our goal is to provide speaker programs for the young families in our community, parents and professionals in our community, and students as well as our older members of our community," she said.

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