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Marion County Department of Mental Health staff members present program

Florence Morning News - 6/7/2017

MARION, S.C. ? The staff at the Marion County Department of Mental Health hosted a program with clients to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month two weeks ago with a local guest speaker, county officials and a catered meal.

Director Sandra Barnes said every year staff members try to do something for their clients.

"We give them information about mental health and look at all the risk behaviors along with coming in for treatment and taking medication," she said. "We have about 17 in our staff and more than 400 clients in the county. We're under the umbrella of Pee Dee Mental Health, providing services like individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy and rehabilitative services such as skill building activities."

The department includes a psychiatrist, doctor, nurse practitioner and registered nurse.

"We work together as a team to make sure our clients are stable," Barnes said.

Marion County Administrator Tim Harper said he was also thankful for the work of the department.

"I thank you all for the work you do for Marion County," Marion County Councilman Buddy Collins said. "It's a very needed program."

Amara Sturkey served as the guest speaker, sharing her experience organizing The Silent Me Mental Health Awareness Campaign. Sturkey talked about living with bipolar disorder along with dealing with depression and anxiety.

"This is the community I grew up in, and I speak everywhere else, so I really enjoying helping the people from where I'm from," she said. "The drive is just seeing people get better."

Sturkey has made more than 50 speaking engagements in the past two years.

She recently held an awareness walk at Marion High School with more than 100 participants and established a $500 scholarship in honor of her grandparents.