To the Editor:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and no institution knows this better than the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility. On a daily basis correctional facility staff must deal with the mental health issues of approximately 180 inmates, ranging from anxiety and depression caused by the incarceration process to full-blown psychosis caused by severe mental illness.

Dianne Touron, forensic mental health counselor for SLCCF, recently spoke to AMI-SLV about the challenges that Security and Medical Staff face each day while maintaining the health, security, and well-being of each inmate.

Each incoming inmate must undergo a medical and mental health evaluation to determine their medical needs. This often involves reaching out to doctors, clinics and pharmacies to verify each individual situation.

For example, an inmate may have diabetes and need insulin injections or he/she may have mental illness and need anti-psychotics. Such medications must be resumed ASAP to prevent relapse or a medical emergency.

Touron praised SLCCF staff for their dedication and persistence in obtaining the pertinent profile and records necessary to address the medical needs of each inmate as they enter the system.

As advocates for the mentally ill, AMI-SLV is concerned about the treatment of individuals with severe mental illness. We are pleased to learn that Sheriff Kevin Wells and the SLCCF staff take mental illness seriously and work as quickly as possible to assess and resolve the medical and mental health needs of each inmate.

We do feel, however, that treatment of mental illness should not be the responsibility of the local jail. There should be enough services in our local communities to assist individuals with mental illness to maintain stability and live in our community without crossing the line into criminal behavior.

St. Lawrence County has many programs, but not enough to serve the needs of individuals living in such a broad geographic area.

We implore New York State, St. Lawrence County, and private non-profit agencies to increase their funding for both in-patient and out-patient services for the mentally ill.

Lynne Matott

President of Alliance for the Mentally Ill of St. Lawrence Valley, Inc.