Editorial Roundup:

South Bend Tribune. May 24, 2020.

A good faith effort toward fixing longstanding problems

Those who have waited in vain for South Bend to establish a civilian review board might turn their attention to Indianapolis, which recently announced its intention to create such oversight.

Earlier this month, in the wake of two fatal police shootings, came the announcement of a proposal for a use-of-force review board that will include civilian participation -making it one of the last big cities to do so.

According to a story in the Indianapolis Star, the review board would include merit-ranked officers and civilians who are appointed by the police chief. The mayor, city-county council president and members of the police department would each be given one nomination.

Civilian appointees would go through training, including on the Indianapolis Metro Police Department's general orders.

In a statement, the Fraternal Order of Police said it awaited the specifics of the proposal but was not opposed to civilian oversight.

What's unclear is how many people would serve on the board, whether they would serve terms and for how long such terms would last.

Police departments across the county have varying levels of civilian oversight, and there is no one way to set up such a system.

A common goal is to increase trust between residents and police.

For years now, members of this community - activists, public officials, this editorial board - have advocated for a review board in South Bend. The idea has never taken hold, mostly because it has lacked mayoral support, past and present. That's a shame, because it could create a more open process - one that might well exonerate officers as well as educate the public about some of the situations that the police face on a daily basis.

In the past, Mayor James Mueller has raised the possibility of creating a 'œcommunity advisory board,'ť which would operate separately from the city's Board of Public Safety, which handles officer discipline and whose members are appointed by the mayor.

The Star story quoted a Republican city official addressing attempts to heal the rift between law enforcement and the community: 'œI don't think there's a secret formula to wave a magic wand and we're all okay now.'ť

In fact, establishing a civilian review board is no cure-all - just a good faith effort toward digging in and committing to doing the work to address longstanding problems.

__

(Terre Haute) Tribune-Star. May 21, 2020.

Raising awareness, highlighting the importance of mental health

When you break your leg, you immediately know what to do. You go to the emergency room. A doctor examines it, you have surgery, you recover in a hospital room and complete physical therapy.

When someone is struggling emotionally or mentally, the path isn't as clear. And the stigma associated with that struggle is fueled by the unknown.

Stigma is defined as 'œa mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person'ť and 'œa mark of shame or discredit.'ť

Shame. Disgrace. Words that make you wince, that ignite fear and can mean damage to one's well-being.

Individuals and organizations have made great strides in reducing the stigma mental illness holds, but there's still much work to be done.

One such organization in Terre Haute has been diligently working this month (Mental Health Awareness Month) to raise awareness in our community.

Hamilton Center's 2020 campaign theme, 'œStigma Nope, not today,'ť which can be seen on flyers, T-shirts and more, allows someone to ask, 'œwhat do you mean by that?'ť It offers an 'œin'ť to a conversation that is every much as important as, 'œI think I've broken my leg; where's the closest emergency room?'ť

Today (May 22) was chosen as 'œWear Green Day'ť by the organization, an additional way to ignite discussion. Center employees, and others across the community, will be sporting green to do just that. They've been asked to use #StigmaNopenottoday on social media, to help spread the message.

Details were released just this week on local nonprofit Team of Mercy's seventh annual 'œSurviving the Color'ť 5K walk/run, planned for July 11. Team of Mercy offers assistance to those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-34 in Indiana, and almost five times as many people died by suicide in Indiana in 2018 than in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Team of Mercy has assisted more than 500 individuals during the last year and reports that in 2019, 40 lives were lost to suicide in the Wabash Valley. 'œSurviving the Color'ť seeks to bring awareness to these numbers and also to educate and reduce stigma.

These noble efforts would have been present with or without the COVID-19 pandemic. But one thing is proving certain: The pandemic, which upended everyone's routine, causing isolation for most and fear for many, has increased the threat of mental illness.

Before the coronavirus hit the United States, Mental Health America was reporting alarming statistics:

'¢ Youth mental health is worsening. From 2012 to 2017, the prevalence of past-year Major Depressive Episode increased from 8.66 percent to 13.01 percent of youth ages 12-17. Now over two million youth have MDE with severe impairment.

'¢ Adult prevalence of mental health is relatively stagnant, but suicidal ideation is increasing. MHA reports 10.3 million adults in the U.S. have serious thoughts of suicide.

As frightening as these 'œbefore'ť numbers are, what the organization's screening program is showing now is 'œroughly 18,000 more people sought help for anxiety or depression since (the COVID-19) pandemic began; nearly 14,000 considered suicide or self-harm in March and April.'ť

Locally, Hamilton Center has reported it's experiencing an increase in requests for services. 'œMany individuals are experiencing increased anxiety and stress related to COVID-19,'ť Mark Collins, Hamilton Center's chief clinical officer, told reporter Sue Loughin for a story in April.

Soon after Indiana entered its pandemic slow-down protocols in late March and early April, the state's addiction hotlines saw an increase in crisis calls from 20 calls a week to 20 calls per day, according to the state's Family and Social Services Administration, reported Lisa Trigg in a story published on May 9.

The road ahead looks daunting.

More than four in 10 adults overall feel that worry and stress related to coronavirus has had a negative impact on their mental health, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. About one in five say it is has had a 'œmajor impact.'ť

With uncertainty of how the pandemic will play out both socially and financially for Americans, the need to reinforce the importance of mental health is more critical than ever.

We ask for your help in spreading this message. Mental health is vital to both our individual and overall well-being as a community. Accepting this truth is the first step in a long journey ahead.

__

Kokomo Tribune. May 22, 2020.

Supporting our troops

It's no secret Howard County takes pride in its veterans. According to the Census Bureau, between 2014 and 2018, 6,123 veterans called Howard County home. During the same time period, 390,220 veterans lived in the Hoosier State.

In Indiana, 5.8% of residents are vets. In Howard County, 7.4% of us are.

So, it was disheartening for us to receive a press release from WalletHub on Monday, outlining just how lacking we have been in supporting our returning warriors. As May is Military Appreciation Month, the organization 'œconducted an in-depth analysis of 2020's Best and Worst States for Military Retirees.'ť Out of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., here's how we shaped up:

'¢ 27th in economic environment.

'¢ 45th in quality of life.

'¢ 45th in health care.

Add up all these statistics, and we're 45th. That's right, according to WalletHub, Indiana is among the bottom six in the nation for military retirees. How pitiful.

But we in the City of Firsts have reason to hold our heads high, even as our state scrapes near the bottom of the barrel in these rankings.

We have been actively tackling our state's higher-than-average homeless veteran population for several years now. Jackson Street Commons opened five years ago at the corner of Jackson Street and Apperson Way providing permanent housing for chronically homeless veterans.

Howard County's veterans court accepted its first participants two years ago, admitting veterans from three other counties into the program. The program offers offenders who served in the military the chance to get treatment or enter a diversion program rather than go to jail. If offenders complete the program, their criminal charges will be dismissed.

Memorial Day is Monday, and Howard County residents should know well the meaning of the holiday centers around honoring those who have died while serving in our armed forces. While those who serve our country are still with us, though, we should show them the respect they deserve. Don't let the bumper sticker slogan of 'œSupport Our Troops'ť ring hollow.

__