FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A metro Atlanta county is addressing mental health and the fight against stigmas on wheels with its new mobile unit.
Fulton County government officials said in a tour of the bus Tuesday that they told residents when and where residents could find the mobile unit.
"If you see us within your community, perhaps you'll go ahead and take that first step to say, you know what is okay not to be okay," said Foster.
A grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Minority Health helped fund the bus, according to officials.
The bus will serve as a resource that will educate residents about mental health treatments. It will also help those who cannot afford treatment or those who do not have insurance get free services provided by the county, county officials stated.
Latrina Foster, the director of the county's Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, said that the bus serves as a way to help community members and the county establish a network of behavioral health.
"The purpose of the mobile unit is to increase our presence within Fulton County so that people are aware that help is here," said Foster.
The director also added that the bus is equipped with consultation rooms where specialists can do an assessment of an individual. If specialists feel that residents need further behavioral health treatment, then they will refer them to an outpatient clinic.
Foster stressed that the mobile unit is used as a resource for the community, but it is not a crisis unit.
Residents can expect to see the mobile bus at community events, libraries, senior centers and other public spaces.
"This will be the gateway to your service to ensure that you know who we are, you know where we are. And if you need our service, we'll be able to link you directly to that service throughout the county," Foster added.
The county commissioner will follow up with residents on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Kenekt in the Westview Community to hear about the issues they face in their communities and give more information about the services, stated in the county's press release.
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