Prince George's County to host mental health talk in Clinton

Prince George’s County will use a May 21 community conversation in Clinton to spotlight a problem that often stays hidden until it becomes a crisis: how residents find help, get referred and get connected to care. The county’s Office of Community Relations is hosting “Real Talk: Community Conversations with Chanel Dickerson, Mental Health Edition” from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Mix & Mingle Coffee Lounge, 8923 Woodyard Rd, with officials framing the evening as a safe, welcoming discussion about mental health awareness and support.

The county’s own health department says the need is large. It points to data showing that about 1 in 5 adults in America experience a mental illness, a share it translates to roughly 140,000 Prince George’s County residents. That is the backdrop for a forum meant to bring emotional health out of the shadows and into a public setting where residents can ask questions, compare experiences and hear what services exist locally.

Prince George’s County says its Behavioral Health Division offers screening, linkage to care, recovery support and overdose response training, and that it works to reduce the stigma around mental illness and substance abuse. The county’s Local Behavioral Health Authority is responsible for planning, managing and monitoring the public behavioral health system in Prince George’s County and for providing information and referral services to people seeking mental health and substance use resources. For residents in immediate distress, the county directs people to 988, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and also points to 2-1-1 Maryland as another entry point for help.

Chanel Dickerson, who leads the Office of Community Relations, brings more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement and community relations with the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department. Her office says its motto is “Connecting People, Connecting Resources,” a phrase that matches the county’s push to make the conversation practical rather than ceremonial. Residents can register through a QR code or registration link, and questions can be sent to Montré Dupree at ymdupree@co.pg.md.us or 301-461-6502.

The event fits into a broader county effort to organize behavioral-health services around planning and referral, including a Local Behavioral Health Authority strategic plan for fiscal years 2024 through 2026. Whether the Clinton forum becomes a real bridge to care will depend on how well county officials connect the conversation to the services they say already exist.