Apalachee school shooting: Gwinnett County advocates for early mental health intervention
Mental health at forefront for law enforcement
Gwinnett County officials, law enforcement and advocates have mental health on their minds in the wake of the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. They held a town hall to show people experience mental health crises that there is help out there for them.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Mental health is top of mind in the wake of the horrific Apalachee High School shooting in Winder that left four people dead and nine more injured. Advocates, law enforcement and local officials in Gwinnett County held a town hall to show people experiencing mental health crises that there is help.
Christian Giddens, a mental health advocate, also lives with mental health challenges.
"My disability is schizophrenic and bipolar," Giddens said. "It affects my learning, it affects how I operate, and it affects how I live in my life."
He wants to help people just like him to let them know there is hope.
"It’s okay to go through the things that you’re going through because there are people out there going through the same exact thing," Giddens said.
Giddens was part of town hall Monday night at the Gwinnett County Justice Center.
"It’s important to shine light on things that matter," Giddens said.
"People need to know there are resources out there and who they can turn to for that help," said Sgt. David Smith with the Behavioral Health Unit of the Gwinnett County Police Department. "We can come out and do crisis assessment, consultations, we can bring a mental health clinician to the scene."
The meeting was part of a series of town halls on drug use and mental health in the county that featured the docuseries "Upfront Gwinnett: Suffering in Silence." The town hall took on even more importance in the aftermath of last week’s school shooting in Winder.
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"It just highlights how much earlier intervention we need from parents, communities, friends, schools. "Getting in early and noticing those signs and getting them help," Smith said.
County Commissioner Jasper Watkins III sponsored the town hall to make people in his county aware of resources available to them.
"You’re telling that there is a problem in your community," Watkins said. "That’s important to get that out front so they can get the help and the family can get the help that’s needed."
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If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency call 988 or 911. Call 770-513-5436 for non-emergencies.