MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT – Voice Of The Township
As the summer approaches and now more than half the nation’s population is vaccinated, businesses are beginning to get back to normal levels of operation. Here at Wayne Township the staff members that have been working from home are now returning to their offices on East Superior Street. We will continue masking up and social distancing at least for the foreseeable future, but for now it feels like things are looking up.
This last year-and-a-half has been a trying time, not only for clients but for our staff members as well. Some have watched while friends or family members have suffered or have even been lost to the pandemic. Some have experienced COVID-19 themselves and can attest to the seriousness of the disease. With over 41,000 reported cases and at least 700 deaths in Allen County, it has been a trying time for many across the community.
There have also been other sources of trauma for people in the last year. A contentious election, an unstable economy, increasing financial inequity and high-profile confrontations between citizens and police have raised questions of fairness in our system and have brought attention to the damage done to people living in it. Many individuals from all parts of society have been shaken, and it feels like now is an especially good time for all of us to be practicing some healthy self-care.
Several staff members at the Wayne Township Trustee office recently participated in a series of group sessions held by the newly opened Courageous Healing center on South Anthony Boulevard. Therapist-owners Aaron and Janell Lane focused, in these sessions, on helping us to see that the human brain changes when a person suffers trauma and that each of us need to face and deal with our own traumatic experiences to be able to continue healthy functioning—in our work, in society and in our interactions with friends and family.
Trustee Austin Knox said, “Growing up as an athlete I learned it was important to take care of my body after tough games to make sure I could make it through a season. We must take care of our mental health in the same way. I want our team to be able to provide the best service we can and the only way we can do that is if we are making sure our own mental health is good. This last year with COVID has been mentally draining for our team but being able to work with Courageous Healing has been a tremendous help.”
Let’s look to a better summer this year and go forward as our healthiest selves possible. It will make a difference.
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