SMETHPORT — At Tuesday’s meeting, the McKean County commissioners heard from representatives of STEPS Drop In Center in Bradford and made a proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month.
Maggie Travis, STEPS coordinator, told the story of the Mental Health Bell.
“During the early days of mental health treatment, asylums often restrained people who had mental illnesses with iron chains and shackles around their ankles and wrists. With better understanding and treatments, this cruel practice eventually stopped,” she read. A call was put forth for the discarded chains and shackles, which were melted down and formed into a bell.
“Now the symbol of Mental Health America, the 300-pound bell serves as a powerful reminder that the invisible chains of misunderstanding and discrimination continue to bind people with mental illnesses.”
A client of STEPS. Laurie Klice, addressed the commissioners, explaining she has bipolar 1 and is in the recovery stages. “STEPS is a big part of my life,” she said. “I have a feeling of acceptance there.”
She serves as the secretary currently. “I like others to feel special coming to STEPS. Most of all we make them feel like they are part of a community. STEPS has helped me more than any hospital.”
Dan Wertz, director of human services for McKean County, referred to the folks from STEPS. “They represent what is possible,” he said.
Travis said the STEPS choir will be performing four times in the month of May, including this Friday in New Castle.
Commissioner Cliff Lane said, “The County Commissioners Association is working very hard to try to get the state to provide more funding for mental health to make sure there’s enough funding for STEPS and other programs like STEPS.”
The proclamation indicated that in the U.S, one in five adults experience mental illness, and “as applied to McKean County, 6,493 of our adult family members, friends and neighbors will experience a mental illness this year.”
According to the 2021 Pennsylvania Annual Youth Survey of 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders, “273 students across the Bradford, Kane, Otto-Eldred, Port Allegany and Smethport school districts reported they seriously considered ending their lives.”
The proclamation called for all citizens to increase awareness and understanding of mental health, “to have the courage to seek help when we need it and to encourage others to do the same, and to promote the overall well-being of our community.”
Also at the meeting, Commissioner Chairman Tom Kreiner said this is National Nurses Week.
“For all those in the nursing field, we celebrate you this week,” he said. He added that he hopes more people join the profession to alleviate shortages.
The commissioners approved eight requests for tax exempt status, six of which were for properties owned by The Lutheran Home at Kane. One property, at 59 South Ave. in Bradford, is owned by the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Corp., and is slated for demolition. The other is owned by the City of Bradford at 38 Jefferson St., and is valued at $250.
Susan Zook Wilson was appointed as industry representative to the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission.
The commissioners also approved a $20,000 grant for Liberty Township from ARPA funds.
Also approved was a professional services agreement with MCM Consulting Group Inc. for a Hazard Mitigation Plan for the county in the amount of $97,558.75.
Commissioner Carol Duffy said, “This is being paid for by a grant which they had applied for and received through PEMA.”
A site license agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and McKean County was approved for a site referred to as Kinzua Dam. Kreiner said, “This is in regards to our ongoing radio project for 911.”
The next commissioners meeting will be held at 10 a.m. May 23.
