Retiring Mental Health America of Fredericksburg director has been tireless advocate

July 19--Twenty years ago, a large psychiatric practice had a back door for its offices in the George Washington Executive Building. That hidden entrance allowed patients to sneak in, so nobody would know they received mental health services.

These days, that building houses the offices of Mental Health America of Fredericksburg. And people walk straight to the door of the nonprofit, openly seeking resources.

"We've come a long way," said Lynn Delamer, director of MHAF. "But we still have a long way to go."

Delamer, who will hand over the agency's reins this summer, started in 1994. At the time, she was a single mom taking psychology classes at Mary Washington College.

She saw an ad for a part-time director of the mental health agency and applied. "I got the job and I was kind of shocked," Delamer said.

She began choosing psychology classes based on the agency's clients. And she asked those clients a lot of questions.

"I would tell clients, 'I've never been in a black hole before, but I want to learn so I can help you,'" she said. "I have not lived it but I can listen and I can hear."

She soon became known for her compassion and understanding. To this day, some clients call Delamer directly when they're experiencing a crisis. She has often sat in hospital waiting rooms with one client who has become a dear friend.

Delamer started at MHAF at a time when the mental health field was taking flight. For decades, mental illness was treated like criminal behavior. People suffering from those illnesses were shackled to hospital beds.

Treatment was all about minimizing damage to others, Delamer said. There was little support for the patients themselves.

"Mental health has struggled with demons, boring holes in people's brains for treatment and shocking them, because we didn't know what to do," Delamer said. "We would numb them up, so they wouldn't feel at all."

The '90s became known as "the decade of the brain," where strides were made in the mental health field. Doctors and researchers started to discover causes and new treatments for mental illness.

The national Mental Health America group uses an iron bell as a symbol of hope. The agency had discarded iron chains and shackles melted and recast into a large bell.

"That symbol is still so critically important to remember where we were and how far we've come," Delamer said. "But we're still using shackles."

People with mental illness are still often transported via police car to jails and state hospitals, she said.

But she is hopeful for the future, partly because she's seen so much progress during her tenure as head of MHAF.

The agency runs a helpline that people call for resources. Last year, 5,158 people used the line. MHAF also posts a list of mental health providers by specialty.

The agency often expands to meet needs that pop up. Delamer hopes to see MHAF offer more substance abuse resources and focus more on recovery--the notion that people with mental illness can go on to lead regular lives.

The local agency has been around since 1955, and has always been known for starting programs that grew into community institutions. MHAF birthed the Kenmore Club, Rappahannock Goodwill Industries and Recovery In Motion.

"One of the neat things is that they never wanted to be a big agency," said Woody Van Valkenburgh, president of Rappahannock Goodwill Industries. "They were content to start efforts and let them grow."

Recently, MHAF has added programs for senior citizens and suicide prevention. And the agency now has a teen council, which is run by local youth who've been affected by suicide.

The teen suicide prevention program began in 2013 in Spotsylvania County schools and will expand to Fredericksburg city schools this year, said Leann Black, president of the MHAF board of directors.

The agency hopes to grow the program into all area schools, she said. Data shows it's helping teens learn more about suicide--but Black thinks an anecdote about the first class at a Spotsylvania high school showcases the program's success better than the numbers do.

A 16-year-old girl left the first class and brought the handouts to her parents, telling them that she had been cutting herself and was suicidal. Her parents immediately sought treatment and the teenager is now doing well, Black said.

She credited Delamer and her willingness to start new programs and to ask for help from other programs.

"She's really well-versed in the community," Black said. "She sees what need is not being met, and she explores every avenue to make sure people are getting the services they need."

Black said it would be difficult to replace the "superhuman" director of MHAF; though the board now has Delamer's replacement narrowed to three candidates.

"My heard just dropped when Lynn told me she was retiring," Black said. "It's not just a loss for our agency; it's a loss for the community, because she's so highly regarded."

In the future, Black hopes the agency will continue to grow. She'd like to expand the volunteer base and find more money, so the agency could create new programs as needs arise.

Delamer plans to stay in touch and watch the agency rise to meet new needs. She'll remain involved with mental health advocacy, and she'd like to volunteer with the free clinic in Tappahannock, where she lives.

She also wants to spend more time at the beach and to visit her grandchildren. Beyond that, she has few plans for her retirement.

While Delamer looks forward to not commuting from Tappahannock every day, she still hasn't fully absorbed the idea of leaving MHAF.

"It's been a fun, fun life journey," she said. "I leave here every day knowing that what we do is important work, and you can't put a price tag on that."

Amy Flowers Umble: 540.735-1973

aumble@freelancestar.com

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