December Newsletter – CEO Message from Tom Petrizzo
As the year is coming to a close, it is time to look back and contemplate all that has happened. Tri-County Mental Health exists to serve the mental health needs of the Northland, and that means that many of our successes are rooted in challenges.
Consider this alarming statistic… our crisis calls have skyrocketed by more than 35 percent in this past calendar year.
More people than ever before in our community have felt the need to reach out for help to handle the pressures of COVID-19, economic stress, depression, and other mental illnesses.
But the good news in that somber statistic is that we were there for those people, and we had programs and staff to help them. That’s the essence of being an excellent community partner. Tri-County is here for our community.
Also this year, we saw tensions surrounding our justice system. Tri-County has programs to help hard-working, motivated people to overcome drug and alcohol involved criminality with our treatment courts. And, with our increased staff serving as Community Behavorial Health Liaisons, we have quadrupled the number of people in our agency available to support and assist law enforcement in the Northland, covering Clay, Platte and Ray Counties. Again, Tri-County is here to strengthen our community and serve those with mental health issues.
In the past few weeks, we have made another change. This one that will assure that we will remain a strong presence in the Northland for years to come. After years of co-owning and renting space within the Human Services Building on the campus of the Metropolitan Community College, we have purchased the entire building, assuring us space to continue and grow the services we provide. Tri-County will be here for our community for many decades in the future.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a bright and merry new year!
