To the Editor:

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to our panelists of “Down the Rabbit Hole of Unmet Mental Health Needs in Ottawa County” that occurred on February 11th. Our panelists, Judge Bruce Winters, Connie Cornett, Katlyn Sheppard, Trevor Johnson, and Pat Adkins imparted sincere knowledge about the mental health issues that have gripped our county. Please know that the time given to serve on this panel sparked great conversations and highlighted areas that can be improved upon.

We would also like to thank the countless agencies that took time to present in the morning session of the Local Resource Exchange 2-1-1 Day that came to fruition from one of the Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM) on Mental Health subcommittees. We know that each agency is very important to the all-encompassing services that Ottawa County has to offer.

Finally, a sincerest thank you to United Way in Ottawa County for working with the SIM subcommittee in making 2-1-1 a true entry point for any community member in need of mental health assistance or any other need that may arise.
It is extremely humbling to see the support systems that our county has in place, and it takes each and every agency to strengthen our community!

With Our Sincerest Thanks, The SIM Coordinated Point of Service Entry Committee: Jaimee Prieur, Mental Health Court Coordinator; Shanna Strouse, Joyful Connections; Kristen Gerwin, Great Lakes Community Action Partnership; Stacy Maple, Lakeside Chautauqua (formerly United Way in Ottawa County); April Schalk and Alison Lanza Falls, United Way in Ottawa County