Delaware Raises Mental Health Flag in Support of Mental Illness Awareness
Dover – Lieutenant Governor John Carney will raise a mental health flag at 12:30 pm at Legislative Hall in Dover in an effort to bring awareness to the plight of the mentally ill. The flag was designed and hand-painted by Kristy Worthen, a bipolar disorder patient, who is touring the nation telling her story.
“I created my flag as a symbol of hope for all people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. It is my desire for the flag to focus attention on each state’s mental health needs. I want to let others know there is hope and there is help for people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness,” says Worthen.
The ceremony will be held at 12:30 P.M. on January 6, 2004, and the public is invited to attend. Lieutenant Governor Carney is participating in the efforts of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) as well as the Delaware chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).
“I’m pleased Delaware will be part of Kristy’s tour and I am glad to help her bring attention to the issue of mental health,” Carney said. “While it is a serious challenge for some, we need to make sure everyone knows that we gain a better understanding and more effective treatments every day.”
The NLGA is seeking to rally public awareness of the need to improve the lives of people with mental illnesses through the “Mental Health flag project” launched by Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. After signing the flag and meeting Kristy Worthen, Rockefeller was certain her flag, which depicts the symbol of a beacon from a lighthouse and the inscription “Shedding Light on Mental Health Issues,” could become a national symbol of hope. To date the flag has flown in 16 states and will be flying next in Maine on January 8th.
Sponsors of the tour include the National Lieutenant Governors Association, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Southwest Airlines, AstraZeneca and Marriott Hotels.
Representatives of the Delaware NAMI and local mental health officials will be present in support of this recognition of the needs of patients of bipolar disorder and the numerous mental health disorders affecting Delawareans.
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