ACS Mental Health Connector

"Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud."

- Maya Angelou

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being. So much of what you do physically impacts you mentally. It’s important to pay attention to both your physical health and your mental health; which can help you achieve overall wellness and success. Mental illnesses are real and recovery is always the goal. Living a healthy lifestyle may not be easy, but can be achieved by gradually making small changes and building on those successes. Finding the balance between school, work, the ups and downs of life, physical health and mental health can help you on the path towards success. Mental health isn’t just something you can deal with once and then get over. It’s important in every stage of your life. From infancy all the way into adulthood; mental health is something we need to be aware of and handle with care. Please wear green sometime this month to support mental health. Have a great summer break!

Michael Ross

ACS Mental Health Service Coordinator

Athens High School students were able to meet with some of our community resources and learn more about mental health resources in the area.

Brad Cohen is a motivational speaker, teacher, school administrator, and author who has Tourette Syndrome. He was born in 1973 and throughout his young childhood, he was accused of being a troublemaker by his teachers and teased by his peers for making noises (tics) that he could not control due to Tourette Syndrome. After graduating college from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois with a degree in elementary education, he was rejected by 24 elementary schools before being hired at Tritt Elementary School in Cobb County, Georgia. As a new teacher, he was named Georgia’s First Class Teacher of the Year in 1997. In 2005, Cohen’s book, Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had was published. He appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show (see link below) in 2006 and in 2008, the book was made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, Front of the Class.

Families Count invites you to a special FREE 6-week parenting class that includes both childcare and dinner. For more information, including registration, contact brenna.bonner75@gmail.com or (256) 604-7700.

Athens--Limestone County Resource Center offers several resources for families. They would love to serve you.

Family Resource Center

406 S Jefferson St

Athens, AL 35611

(256) 230-0880

988 is now the active phone number that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This shorter number is easier to remember, and it provides free and confidential support for anyone in distress.

Athens-Limestone Counseling Center

Mental health screenings and treatment resources https://www.mhcnca.org/

Limestone County Churches Involved

LCCI’s food pantry provides perishable, emergency assistance, and non-perishable items to families of Limestone County. Assistance is available at 201 North Jefferson Street, Athens, AL. Clients may receive Food Pantry assistance up to 6 times per calendar year.

https://limestonechurchesinvolved.org/assistance/

Limestone County Health Department
COVID Vaccinations, Clinical, Environmental and Home Health services https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/limestone/

Caring House
Grief Support services https://hhcaringforlife.org/caring-house

United Way
DIAL 2-1-1 from your phone or search the database online to get help with non-emergency needs. https://www.uwca.org/get-help/2-1-1-call-center/

Limestone County DHR

https://dhr.alabama.gov/county-office-contact/

Limestone Child Advocacy Center
Prevention and intervention services for children and families https://www.limestonecac.com/contact

Family Resource Center
Housing, Rent, Utilities, Clothing, and Counseling https://alcfamilyresourcecenter.org/

Happi Health
Medical and Behavioral Health Services https://www.happiinc.com/

My goal is to provide and assist families with mental health resources within the community. Reach out if you have any questions!

Mental Health Services Coordinator

Email: michael.ross@acs-k12.org
Website: https://www.acs-k12.org/Domain/2168
Location: 100 US Highway 31 N Athens, AL 35611
Phone: 256-233-6600