Right here Tomorrow’s mission, which opens in late 2021, is to rework lives by constructing a neighborhood the place psychological well being care is suitable and accessible. In different phrases, the stigma has been eradicated from their program.
In Florida, suicides have practically doubled over the previous 20 years. As well as, the charges in Duval and St. Johns counties are larger than the nationwide common.
It defies the logic that folks with a medical situation can keep within the hospital for so long as needed, whereas these with a psychological dysfunction are restricted to 72 hours. From first-hand expertise, we are able to let you know that point is just not sufficient and well timed follow-up care is just not obtainable, which regularly proves disastrous.
Boundaries to psychological well being care embrace ready lists, insurance coverage points, and a nationwide scarcity of psychological well being practitioners. The Right here Tomorrow folks can present same-day assist, which is a response time that may make the distinction in success or failure. As well as, many companies are free.
However the important thing to the success of this group is the workers.
Companies are supplied by extremely educated and authorized peer assist professionals. A lot of them are folks with “stay expertise” who perceive what others are going by in disaster, as a result of they have been there themselves.
The typical price of serving one “buddy” for a yr is $1,695.44, with a mean of over 400 calls obtained per week. Native hospitals quote the price of a affected person’s three-day keep at about $6,000.
This is Tomorrow is receiving grant assist from a number of organizations, together with a three-year problem from J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver to match each reward donated—as much as $2 million—by 2024.
In case you are a person or have a cherished one who wants assist, or produce other questions, go to HereTomorrow.org, or name or textual content (904) 372-9087. Stroll-in accepted at 910 Third St. in Neptune Seaside.
Richard and Kathleen Marquis, St. Augustine
Watch out for manipulative marketing campaign adverts
A letter dated January 7 commented on an advert by Daniel Davis that did not even point out he was operating for mayor. When pondering expertise had been thought-about vital in schooling, I taught a unit on promoting to gifted fifth graders. They’ve discovered that almost all adverts present the ability of manipulation by content material or lack of content material, lighting, colour, music and different strategies.
Marketing campaign promoting has barely begun right here, however we have already got stragglers. At one finish of the spectrum, we’ve the loving household man with the attractive spouse and youngsters. Advertisements like this are all the time vibrant and sunny with upbeat music. Sadly, their {qualifications} are sometimes low however they deal with making you be ok with the candidate.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum are adverts meant to make you hate an opponent, usually used towards Leksha Burton and now LeAnna Cumber. With ominous music and darkish visuals, they remind me of serial killer film trailers. There’s often an intense crimson someplace, which gives colour distinction but in addition signifies an apocalyptic situation which may ensue if this candidate is elected. In this sort of commercial, details are sometimes omitted or distorted to make the candidate one thing she or he is just not.
Cumber’s declaration even makes her sound like a Democrat – however a Republican.
To date plainly each excessive circumstances come from a sure mayoral candidate. My letter doesn’t endorse any single candidate however is meant to remind us all to take inventory of the numerous adverts we’ll see within the subsequent few months on TV, in our mailboxes, and elsewhere. Because the election approaches, I hope we’ll see adverts that focus extra on {qualifications} and fewer on manipulation.
Rhoda T. London, Jacksonville
New guidelines for balloting by mail
All Duval County voters should now re-apply for mail-in ballots. Even for those who’ve obtained mail-in ballots for the previous 10 years or extra, you need to now adjust to a Florida Legislature’s resolution requiring you to reapply after every normal election. For those who do now, you should have your ballots for 2 years.
You may apply simply on-line:
- Go to the Superintendent of Elections web site DuvalElections.com
- Select Vote by Mail, the third blue field from the left within the prime row.
- When this display screen opens, select the second merchandise “Mail Vote Utility Type (Digital Poll Utility)”.
- This brings up screens for getting into your figuring out data. Know that despite the fact that it refers to your driver’s license quantity or the final 4 digits of your social account, you will want each.
- Be sure you choose “All Election” to get a poll for each election by November 2024.
You can too go to the election workplace supervisor and apply in particular person, however be sure you have your driver’s license, Florida ID, and Social Safety quantity with you. You may additionally contact the election workplace supervisor to file an utility by cellphone at (904) 255-8684 (255-VOTE). It is usually a good suggestion to test the present voter registration standing.
Do not forget that your vote is your voice and a precious asset. Use it in each election.
Pat Wojciechowski, Jacksonville
Crime goes within the flawed course
I hardly ever comply with the information anymore as a result of it usually hurts, saddens, and upsets me, however I noticed one thing within the paper on January eighth and needed to remark. Sadly, Jacksonville is notoriously infamous for having a “demise grip” (pun meant) on the title, “Florida’s Official Capital of Homicide,” and the residents appear very pleased with that.
The article talked about that Jacksonville had 163 murders in 2022, in line with unofficial knowledge from the Instances-Union. The earlier yr noticed a major drop of about 27% in homicides with 129, after a surprising 177 circumstances in 2020.
Would not it make you choke with satisfaction?
Based on Sheriff TK Waters, “We’re on target, despite the fact that it might not really feel prefer it,”
How might a 26% enhance be in the suitable course? Except you are speaking about holding onto the Homicide Capital event title, these are usually not good numbers.
Dale Vickery, Orange Park