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MORE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS NEEDED, WELLAND WOMAN SAYS

CHERYL ROWE HAS HAD EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH SYSTEM

RICHARD HUTTON rhutton@niagara thisweek.com

Cheryl Rowe knows first-hand, the gaps in the system for mental health.

Her son, Richard, was 13 when he began his mental health struggles.

"There were a lot of issues," Rowe said. "I had to place him with FACS. He was being disruptive to my other kids."

Her son was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

It's one of the reasons why Rowe supports a move to declare a state of emergency surrounding mental health, addictions and overdoses as well as homelessness. She ran in last year's municipal election in Ward 6 and placed fourth.

Her story is a familiar one. A family member is struggling with their mental health and resources are scarce. Sometimes the care that is available isn't always appropriate, she said.

Case in point, she suffered trauma as a young woman after she was struck by a car while living in Hamilton. She had difficulty sleeping and was plagued by nightmares.

"The initial response was to give out medication," she said, adding that it did not help.

Instead, she found that when she began to open up about her experience, it helped.

"Sometimes you just need talk therapy," she said.

She also went to school to become a personal support worker and wound up working in the lock-up section at the Woodlands of Sunset, where she helped care for patients with Alzheimer's.

But it's not just Rowe. The torch has also been picked up by Welland Ward 2 Coun. Leo Van Vliet, who will be bringing a motion before council at an upcoming meeting, calling on his colleagues around the horseshoe to renew their support of a call for the Region to declare a State of Emergency over mental health,

"There's an incredible shortage of assistance for anyone with a mental health problem," he said.

With many family members working in health

care, Van Vliet said he is familiar with the difficulties faced by those working in the sector.

"It's really unfortunate that some of the cutbacks

have been made," he said.

Welland was among the 11 Niagara municipalities who supported the initia

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2023-01-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-26T08:00:00.0000000Z

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