The National Association of Counties (NACo) has announced that Scioto County Commissioner Bryan K. Davis is one of 14 county leaders appointed to a new Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing. The group, unveiled at NACo’s Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. in March, is tasked with leading the development of policy and programmatic recommendations at the federal, state, and local levels to address systemic issues contributing to the ever-growing mental health crisis.
“In 2021, nearly one in four U.S. adults and one in five adolescents experienced a mental illness,” said NACo President Denise Winfrey. “This commission understands the urgency of the moment. It’s made up of people who, in their own communities, are seeing the effects of the mental health crisis, and have an idea of where we need to start in order to address it.”
Commissioner Bryan Davis, who is currently serving his third term in the county, has extensive experience working with local mental/behavioral health professionals and organizations to provide additional assistance to residents in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Commissioner Davis, who also serves as a church pastor, has extensive knowledge of the results from both negative and positive mental health outcomes. His most recent effort is in helping to lead the effort locally includes prevention education in public schools that touches on topics such as addiction, cyber-bullying, and mental health.
“I am both honored and excited about being part of this 14 member national commission. Working with other county professionals from varying backgrounds will provide a unique perspective on mental health issues that hopefully will ignite a genuine and substantial conversation nationally to address the ever growing mental health crisis. I’m excited to get started,” said Davis.
Counties are well-positioned to lead action on the mental health crisis because they play an integral role in local health, justice and human services systems. Direct mental health service delivery responsibilities are falling increasingly to America’s counties, which often serve as the nation’s safety net for residents in need, act as first responders, operate crisis lines, and manage public hospitals and detention centers.
“Together we can address the issues and possible solutions needed to see real change at the national, state and local level. Mental Health impacts all Americans and we need to re-think how we are addressing availability and accessibility for care. So many of our current issues are a direct or indirect symptom of a larger mental health crisis. We simply must do better,” said Davis.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government. www.naco.org
The Scioto County Commissioners meet each Thursday morning at 9:30AM in Room 310 of the Scioto County Courthouse. The meetings are also live streamed on the Scioto County Commissioners Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/sciotocountycommissioners. You can also visit the Scioto County website, www.sciotocountyoh.com, for the latest information on all things related to Scioto County.