Action changes things … and it’s time to act!

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Dr. J.B. Gambrel tells an amusing story from General Stonewall Jackson’s famous valley campaign. Jackson’s army found itself on one side of a river when it needed to be on the other side. After telling his engineers to plan and build a bridge so the army could cross, he called his wagon master in to tell him that it was urgent the wagon train cross the river as soon as possible. The wagon master started gathering all the logs, rocks, and fence rails he could find and built a bridge. Long before daylight General Jackson was told by his wagon master all the wagons and artillery had crossed the river. General Jackson asked where were the engineers and what were they doing? The wagon master’s only reply was that they were in their tent drawing up plans for a bridge.

There is a time to study and plan, but there comes a time when action must be taken. When it comes to mental health and mental illness, we are definitely at a time when action needs to be taken!

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and throughout the month Scott Free Clinic will be sharing with the public different information pertaining to mental and behavioral health, and mental illness. For example, one in four American adults and one in five children will experience mental illness this year. The issue of mental illness is far more pervasive than most understand, as illustrated in the graphic to the right.

While it’s important to help people expand their awareness and understanding of mental illness, our chief goal this month is to help you connect a few simple facts to motivate you to action. Follow this:

    1. An abundance of research data overwhelmingly proves that competent, skilled clinical counseling helps people with mental illness changes their lives.
    2. Most people suffering a mental illness don’t get the clinical help they need.
    3. Most people suffering a mental illness don’t get the clinical help they need because they can’t afford it.
    4. And some people don’t get the clinical help they need due to services not being available.

From these four points, we can conclude that if we remove the barriers of cost and access, then people will be able to get the clinical help they need and, therefore, change their lives!

That’s the very purpose for which Scott Free Clinic exists, and the vision and mission we strive to fulfill. By operating as a free clinic, and using technology to serve people all across the country and around the world, we directly eliminate the barrier of cost, and largely eliminate the barrier of access (at least, if a person has a computer and can access the internet).

So, this month, Scott Free Clinic is issuing a call to action – an invitation to help us be able to provide these life-changing services without the barriers of cost or access. To make this happen, we need your financial support as a Care Partner. It’s our goal during the month of May to achieve (minimally!) “50 at $25,” meaning to have at least 50 new Care Partners who give a minimum of $25 per month join the vision and mission of this ministry. If you can’t give $25 per month, share what you can spare; if you can give more, please be as generous as is fitting for you. If you can’t give monthly, give when you can, even if it’s only once. It is only by your financial support that we’re able to tear down the barriers that help people get the vital help they need, and you can know that your tax deductible donations WILL result in changed lives!

It is important to expand and deepen our awareness and understanding of mental illness, but it’s absolutely critical that we take action. We invite, encourage, and challenge you to take action by becoming a Care Partner with Scott Free Clinic and making your first donation TODAY. You can do so directly from our website by clicking here.

Thank you, and God bless you!

In His Service,

Dr. James Scott, Jr.
Founder & President,
Scott Free Clinic