Mental Health Campaign Updated - Hancock Regional Hospital

It’s time to open up about mental health and substance abuse in Hancock County.

Mental illness never announces its presence. Substance abuse rarely seeks out the spotlight. Instead, they thrive on silence and flourish in the dark. So we’re opening an honest conversation about these issues and their impact on Hancock County. Make no mistake: We’re not simply raising our voices.

We’re raising $3.5 million to fund critical support and resources for our community.

—We hope you’ll join us—

in bringing mental illness and substance abuse to light—and in bringing an end to the darkness and suffering.

Give Now

You can help save lives NOW.

Your gift is an investment in Hancock County’s professional services and support programs to address the growing mental illness and substance abuse problems in our community.

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Please call the Foundation office at 317-468-4583 or email if you have any questions about the online form. All the information you provide is strictly confidential.

REFUND POLICY: If you made a donation in error, you have the right to a full refund within 30 days of the date of the donation. Contact Hancock Regional Hospital Foundation at 317-468-4583 should you require assistance in this situation.

A Community in Distress

Mental illness and substance abuse leave no community or age population untouched. In fact, 1 in 4 American adults—and 1 in 5 children—live with mental illness. In Indiana, the problem is especially dire:

^#2

Indiana ranks #2 in the nation for youth suicide attempts.

65^%

In Hancock County alone, 65% of youth report knowing someone who has had serious thoughts of suicide.

5^th

Indiana ranks 5th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for states with the worst drug problems.

You can help save lives. Here’s how.

Hancock County desperately needs professional services and support programs to address the growing mental illness and substance abuse problems in our community. To that end, our $3.5 million will fund:

2 new mental health navigators
10 new licensed social workers
School-based prevention and early intervention services
Medication-assisted opioid treatment services

Every year, dozens of Hancock County residents accidentally overdose on drugs.

The emotional cost of these problems are immeasurable. But the financial cost isn’t. The lifetime medical and work-loss costs of suicide in Indiana are more than $1 billion a year.

So far, we’ve done far too little to address these problems.

A 2018 study found that long wait times, limited treatment options, and lack of service providers were creating barriers to treatment in Hancock County. Now is the time to start helping our friends and neighbors affected by substance abuse and mental illness, once and for all.

THE IMPACT

“We have some of the best care for cancer patients…but people with mental health issues are viewed differently and treated differently, and it should never be that way.”

Jeff Muegge

Husband of Lisa Muegge

THE IMPACT

“You are not alone. All kinds of people are dealing with the same negative emotions you are. And with enough help and enough work on your life, I believe anyone can be better.”

Keely Butrum

THE IMPACT

“I’ve had a granddaughter who’s had a problem with drugs. And I wonder, back when she was in seventh or eighth grade when it started, if we’d had places available, and treatments, and people to talk to her, if things might have been different.”

“We’ve got to get to the base of that problem and get that changed. I hope you can find a way to support this important campaign.”

Walt Waitt

Board of Directors, Emeritus Hancock Health Foundation

THE IMPACT

“Providing mental health services for senior citizens in this county is a huge challenge. Because there’s a huge stigma around getting help for mental health issues. And that is probably the number one barrier right now for people getting help.”

Kit Paternoster

Volunteer Coordinator, Hancock County Senior Services

THE IMPACT

“We’re getting phone calls now that might be suicidal, and we don’t have the staff we need to sit next to this phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week—to even be able to service the people who are calling in now.”

Andrea Mallory

Executive Director, Hope House

THE IMPACT

“It can be extremely frustrating to have someone say they’re ready for help, but there are no services to help them. You really need to act when they say, “I’m ready to go,” and we’re scrambling to make it happen.”

Angie Lyons

Program Coordinator, Hope House

THE IMPACT

“The majority of people struggling with substance abuse have an underlying issue of mental illness that’s either never been diagnosed or not correctly treated. And to get our young people in to see a counselor, the waits are long.”

Linda Ostewig

Director, The Landing Place

THE IMPACT

“You could go on for years about all the things she did for us, but it’s the stuff she missed, or we miss her for, or that she hasn’t been here for. Not seeing my graduation. I never expected that.”

AJ Muegge

THE IMPACT

“What I miss the most is not so much what we had, but what she’s not here for. We just had twins a year and a half ago, and it’s just wrenching to think that she didn’t get to hold those babies and be the grandma she was going to be.”

Joel Hungate

Success Stories

Learn More

Did you know?

Mental illness and substance abuse can affect anyone.

Your friends and coworkers. Your neighbors and relatives. Your kids. And just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Untreated, it has far-reaching consequences.

It can lead to dropping out of school, unemployment, arrest, teen pregnancy, and premature death.

We need more firepower to win this fight.

Right now, there aren’t enough mental health and substance use treatment facilities or professionals in Hancock County. And many who need help don’t have the means to pay for it.

The first critical step to winning the battle against substance abuse and mental illness? Bringing the problem to light.

Start by downloading our brochure