Representative Day Sponsors Mental Health Legislative Breakfast

State Representative Michael S. Day (D-Stoneham) recently sponsored the annual Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) Northeast Area Citizen's Legislative Breakfast in the Great Hall at the State House along with Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives (D-Newburyport).

“This is an opportunity for the mental health community — consumers, families, providers and advocates — to meet with their legislators, thank them for their support and discuss with them the many services DMH provides to individuals with serious mental illness,” said DMH Commissioner Joan Mikula.

“I was honored to host and thank the Department of Mental Health and their staff and consumers for their services and dedication to working with those with mental illness,” said Representative Day. “We have a shared responsibility and obligation to work to end the stigma surrounding mental health and to discuss it openly and honestly as a public health issue. DMH has evolved and is working to align their programs and services to better serve their mission and to modernize their approach to reflect a reality that we all know to be true: that people do better and stay on the pathway to healthy lives longer when they integrate successfully into their community and are given the tools that will enable them to successfully resume their relationships, work, education and life.”

The theme of this year’s DMH breakfast focused on community supports and housing for DMH consumers. The event’s centerpiece was personal stories shared by DMH consumers and their families. “Their experiences put a face on mental illness, demonstrated that treatment does work and reminded us that people with mental illness can indeed lead satisfying and productive lives,” said Representative Day. “I sincerely thank those individuals who shared their stories with us.”

More than 250 people including legislators, consumers, family members and advocates and providers attended the breakfast.