Brunswick County’s Rotary Clubs hold successful Mental Health Summit, screening of “The Veteran’s Battlefield”
SUPPLY, N.C. – The meeting room at Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation in Supply, N.C. was packed for the February 2 Brunswick County Mental Health Summit, which was organized by the county’s five Rotary clubs. Speakers at the event provided an overview of mental health issues in Brunswick County, information on resources available, a screening of “The Veteran’s Battlefield,” and an opportunity to network with resource providers.
“Mental health is an important issue that affects every single one of us, either directly or indirectly,” said event organizer Frank Williams, president of the Leland Area Rotary Club and a member of the Rotary District 7730 Mental Health Task Force. “We hope this summit raised awareness of mental health issues in Brunswick County, connected people with resource providers, and encouraged those who need support to seek it.”
In announcing his Presidential theme, Create Hope in the World, 2023-24 Rotary International President Gordon McInally encouraged Rotarians to come together to offer their time, talents, and resources to Create Hope in the World through several key initiatives, including mental health. A July 6, 2023 Rotary International blog post expands on the importance of mental health, specifically citing the need to:
- Erase the stigma associated with discussions of emotional well-being
- Raise awareness of mental health needs; and
- Improve access to mental care services.
Speakers at the summit included:
- Cecelia Peers, Southern Regional Director for Trillium Health Resources, who provided an overview of mental health issues and statistics in Brunswick County
- David Stanley, Deputy County Manager for Brunswick County, who provided an overview of mental health resources available in the county
- Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jon Oliver, program coordinator for The Anchor Initiative
- Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Jason Disbrow and Glenda Dubose, Mental Health Treatment Court Coordinator
- Sharon Plucker and Erin Rutkowski from the Brunswick County Schools Student Services Team; Plucker and Rutkowski were introduced by Brunswick County Board of Education Chair Steve Barger; and
- Johnnie Carswell, Burke County Commissioner and President of the N.C. Association of County Commissioners (NCACC), who spoke about how the loss of his son to an opioid overdose led to his One More Thing NCACC Presidential Initiative; Carswell was introduced by Brunswick County Commissioner Mike Forte.
For more information on President Carswell’s One More Thing Initiative, visit https://www.ncacc.org/about/presidential-initiatives/one-more-thing.
The summit also featured a screening of The Veteran’s Battlefield, a documentary produced by the NCACC and 100 Strong Productions, which explores veterans’ challenges in North Carolina and how counties and residents can best support the state’s veteran population. North Carolina is home to around 700,000 veterans and has the eighth-largest veteran population in the nation. For more information, please visit https://www.theveteransbattlefield.com.