Farmingville, NY - May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. This recognition started 70 years ago as a means of raising awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of good mental health for everyone. During the month of May, people are encouraged to raise awareness, reduce stigma and take part in sharing information, resources and support for mental health conditions.
Jake Butkevitch, a 17-year-old resident of Setauket, is working to end the stigma of mental illness. He created t-shirts to raise awareness and start a program to provide advocacy and support for people who suffer from mental illness. Thus far, he has raised $600. The Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau is helping to spread awareness of mental health issues in May by wearing the t-shirts Jake created, which say “You Are Not Alone.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
● Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. (46.6 million) experience mental illness in a given year
● Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the U.S. (11.2 million) experience a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities
● 1 in 5 youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition
● The average delay between the onset of symptoms and seeking treatment in children and teens with mental illness is 8 to ten years
If you know of a young person between the ages of 12 and 24 who are at risk and in need of mental health support, please contact the Brookhaven Youth Bureau at 631-451-8011. Licensed Clinical Social Workers are available to provide counseling.
(Pictured above, left to right, is licensed clinical social worker Amy Gironda, INTERFACE Coordinator Josephine Lunde, Housing and Human Services Executive Assistant Frank Petrignani, licensed clinical social worker Liz Derkevics and Principal Account Clerk Margaret Pavelock.)
Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone 631-451-6595