Farmington Hills Panel Plans Town Hall on Depression

According to Chief Chuck Nebus, Hills officers respond to mental health-related calls more often than most people probably realize.

"People don't recognize that over 200 times (a year) we're committing people," he said during last week's Commission on Children, Youth and Families meeting, held at .

A concern over teen suicides last spring led to a commission discussion about hosting a town hall meeting on depression. But that probably won't be the sole focus; depression also touches the elderly, people in midlife and those experiencing hardships because of the economic downturn, commission members agreed.

"Depression is No. 4 on the World Health Organization's list of major health concerns," said commission member Paul Melrose, who is director of the Samaritan Counseling Center.

The proposed date for the event is May 27. The commission's issues committee is making arrangements for a speaker and working out the structure of the event. The committee next meets at 8 a.m. Feb. 28 at the in Farmington Hills.

"I think we have to be careful how we handle it," commission chair Mary Mullins said. She felt the group should target the event not toward people who suffer from depression but at raising community awareness through education.

The commission meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 a.m., at Farmington Hills City Hall. For information, visit cyf.us.