NAMI honors those who work for mental illness

Oct. 04--On a night in June, Archbald police officer Jamie Trently spent more than 40 minutes convincing a suicidal woman planning to jump off a bridge to accept help reaching safety.

That kind of crisis intervention and care for the mentally ill is the focal point of the National Alliance on Mental Illness' mission. On Friday night, the group's Scranton chapter gathered for a candlelight vigil and ceremony to honor Officer Trently and two other locals who have served as advocates for the mentally ill.

For the past 18 years the Scranton group has gathered for a candlelight vigil during Mental Illness Awareness Week. The vigil gives NAMI a chance to honor those who have made important advances in the community, said Executive Director Marie Onukiavage.

Laughter filled the lawn on the Linden Street side of Lackawanna County Courthouse Square as friends gathered for the vigil. Officer Trently received a leadership award for her actions in June. Bill Buck and Jeff Blau both received the Candlelight Award, an honor given to advocates for the mentally ill.

Officer Trently was prepared to handle the suicidal woman because of the training she received through NAMI's Crisis Intervention Team. The program is designed to help first responders and law enforcement officers deal with crises involving those who may have a mental illness.

"It's nice to be able to resolve a situation without using force," Officer Trently said.

Mr. Buck works as an advocate for people with mental illness and their families through Clarks Summit State Hospital, youth camps and at his own weekly support group. Mr. Buck, who has worked in the field 12 years, said he's always wanted to be in a position to help others.

"(I want) to help people see they are more than their illness," he said

Everyone has a part in improving the lives of others, Mr. Blau said. After spending almost 40 years working in social services, he recently retired from Community Care Behavioral Health in Tobyhanna. He was glad to be recognized for his work, but those advocating for mental illness are not the ones who really deserve recognition, he said.

"It's really those people with mental illness or drug and alcohol problems who need to be recognized for working hard to recover," he said.

Contact the writer:

lranker@timesshamrock.com; @lrankerNEWS on Twitter

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