From the Desk of Dr. Dan Gowdy

The past year and half haven’t been easy. The challenges presented by COVID-19 were unlike anything we’ve ever encountered. The reality is that we still have a long way to go, and it’s important to remain vigilant.

The ongoing pandemic has intensified a mental health tsunami, accelerating the arrival of the greatest mental health crisis of our generation. We’re already seeing the effects of this tsunami, indiscriminately wreaking havoc across community demographics.

The 2020 Kent County Community Health Needs Assessment — a report that identifies and prioritizes health related needs in our community — recognized mental health among youth as one of the county’s key issues. 1 in 3 young adults have some form of depression, and 30% reported having 14 or more ‘poor mental health days’ in the previous month. That means that a third of young adults experienced ‘poor mental health days’ at least HALF of the previous month. That’s devastating.

The children in our communities are struggling. They’re crying out for help and we need to be ready and able to step in to help. How do we do that? For Wedgwood the answer is to do more of what we’re already doing.

We have the strength, expertise, and leadership to help those who are affected by trauma, and provide a loving, compassionate, and grace-filled environment for them to flourish.

Our excellent and distinctively Christian services can provide a brighter and more promising future for children and teens in need of mental health and substance use services. We can give them the tools they need to cope, and change the trajectory of their life.

We can do all of that, but we can not do it without you.

For the last 61 years, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have generous donors in our midst who, without hesitation, helped Wedgwood fill the gaps in our community. We are at a critical time in our history, and how we respond today will directly impact those around us.

I hope you’ll join us as we begin to tackle what I believe will be the biggest mental health crisis of our time.

 

Check out the Wedgwood Coffee Break Conversation with Dr. Dan Gowdy on our YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts