Mental Health and Recovery Board holds annual meeting

  • October 12, 2009
  • 761
                        
The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Wayne and Holmes Counties held its annual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Shisler Conference Center. David Dutton, chair of the board, opened the meeting and introduced Judy Wortham Wood, executive director of the board. Wood highlighted her first year at the board and concluded by urging the audience to vote for the mental health levy on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Shining Light Award, established in 1996 to recognize a Wayne or Holmes County citizen who is truly a star and makes ours “A Community Worth Living In,” was awarded to Mary Ann King, a resident of Dalton and two-time chair of the board, appointed in 1984. She has served under all three executive directors of the board and served as chair twice. Her years of service total 25. King has a Master of Science in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from Ohio State University and has worked all of her professional life in the field of mental health—promoting treatment, recovery, and fighting stigma. “Mary Ann King wrote on her initial application that she felt she had a broad varied background in the field and could contribute to the direction of the board,” said Judy Wood. “And that she has,” she added. King’s knowledge of the mental health field has enabled her to look at problems and slowly and deliberately search for the best answers. Mary Ann King has been a huge supporter of the Mental Health Coalition, Suicide Prevention Coalition, NAMI, and special events on behalf of the board, including Arts for Wellness and has been very active on every levy campaign. Mary Ann King has surely been a shining star for the last 25 years and the award recognizes that fact. Also on the agenda was the presentation of the first William Mateer Fine Arts Scholarship. The Mental Health and Recovery Board established the scholarship to honor the retirement of William Mateer in 2008. The one-year scholarship was awarded to Nathan D. Kurtz, who accepted the award and was joined by his parents at the annual meeting. Kurtz is a talented musician who graduated from Smithville High School and attended The College of Wooster as a music major. While at the college, he was diagnosed with a severe mental illness and had to leave to get treatment and work on his recovery process. His recovery has come in part from his efforts and collaboration with counseling as well as through involvement with a band at his church where he plays guitar and sings. Jeremy Kurtz, his uncle, said that “with each note Nathan plays and each song Nathan sings, he is seeing improvement.” “I am no doctor, but I can’t help thinking that the music is playing a big role in Nathan’s recovery.” Bill Mateer, who also went to the college as a music major and plays the tuba-Nathan’s main instrument—said upon presenting the award, “Thank you Nathan for giving us all inspiration and seeing what the joy of music can do in a person’s life. Good luck to you and I hope to hear your music throughout Wayne and Holmes counties.” The meeting also included remarks from Paolo del Vecchio, a self-diagnosed consumer of mental health services who was in town to speak at the RSVP Recovery Conference. He serves as associate director of consumer affairs at the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Wayne and Holmes Counties is the governmental agency responsible for mental health and substance abuse treatment. Its role is to assess, plan, organize, fund and give oversight to community services for mental health treatment and alcohol and drug prevention and treatment.


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