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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 5, 1986 Page 29
Volunteer
Continued from page 1
of Jewish Women," Mrs. Elson
told The Southern Israelite. “A
group of us started a day-care
center for emotionally disturbed
pre-school children. In the pro
cess of setting up this school, I
discovered that mental health
seemed to be something that was
worthy. It’s such a poignant
cause.”
Mrs. Elson says she believes it
is incumbent upon those w ho are
healthy and connected with main
stream American life to be advo
cates for those less privileged. It
is a belief instilled in her by her
family, according to long-time
friend Carole Goldberg of At
lanta.
“Susie was brought up in a
home where giving back to the
community was a very important
creed," said Mrs. Goldberg.
“Susie has been involved in com
munity service of one sort or
another for years. She has always
been this way. Her mother is that
wav and I'm sure her dad is
active, too."
Mrs. Elson’s past volunteer
activities include being secretary
and president of the National
Council of Jewish Women, direc
tor of Volunteer Atlanta and
chairman of the Atlanta Regional
Commission’s Mental Health
Task Force, to name just a few .
Her current volunteer activi
ties include working as a board
director for the American Jewish
Committee. Jewish Children’s
Services, and the High Museum
of Art. She is a Trustee of the
Atlanta Arts Museum, the Amer
ican Craft Council and the At
lanta Music Festival, where she
serves as secretary.
Hut the lion’s share of Mrs.
Elson’s time, talents and energies
are now spent in her busy role as
president of the National Mental
Health Association. “My phone
is ringing as soon as I get up in
the morning,” she said, comment
ing that her schedule is mostly
coordinated out of the national
office outside Washington, D C.
in Alexandria. Va.
Preventing mental illness wher
ever possible in the United States
is among Mrs. bison's top priori
ties.
1 he association has just com
pleted a report that showed that
a great deal can be done by tar
geting certain groups at risk for
mental illness," she said, citingas
an example the proper adminis
tering of prenatal care to Ameri
ca s ever-increasing numbers of
teenage mothers. Such care, she
indicated, would go a long w ay in
keeping mother and child both
mentally and physically fit.
> oung people can also be
helped in a myriad of ways
through the preventive efforts of
NMHA in the nation’s public-
schools. The fostering of men
tally healthy young people, she
said, can be incorporated in the
general counseling agendas of
elementary, middle and high
schools.
“It’s important to make chil
dren feel good about themselves
and to teach them how to handle
emotional problems earls on,”
she said. “Children need a healths
self-image. They need to be taught
boss to deal with emotional set
backs or just their usual emo
tions, like sadness, happiness,
the w hole range of emotion.”
Other preventive measures M rs.
Elson advocates to help ensure
the mental health ol the nation
include the use of support groups.
“Support groups can success-
lulls help people going through
crises in their lives. such as
widow groups, the unemployed
or farmers.” she said. “The object
is to make their problems as less
stressful as they can be made.”
America’s estimated 300,000
homeless people also command
the attention of the National
Mental Health Association, ac
cording to its president. “In
manv cases the homeless are
former patients of mental institu
tions, w ho were released, say. 10
years ago.” she said. “T hey were
supposed to have services and
housing and the whole range of
social services follow them into
the community. But, this has
fallen down.”
As NMHA president. Mrs.
Elson will continue to push for
improved community-based mental
Susie Elson
health services for the homeless,
many of whom, she said, arc suf
fering from latent stages of
schizophrenia.
Moreover, community-based
mental health services are far
superior to the alternative way of
dealing with mentally ill people.
“A person should not be locked
away for the rest of his or her life
in some remote hospital." she
said. “People who are mentally
ill need a range of services. Some
times they arc pretty healthy, but
just require treatment from time
to time."
Mrs. Elson noted with con
sternation the efforts of some
lawmakers to institutionalize
those homeless Americans thought
or known to be mentally ill.
“They want to get them off the
streets and out of view,” said
Mrs. Elson. “While 1 agree with
that to a certain extent, the
homeless need a whole range of
services: housing, recreational
facilities and employment train
ing and opportunities.”
Said Elson: “We have to real
ize that in a society of plentv.
there are always going to be a few
people in the society who are
"BUCKLER BROADCAST CiROtP. INC"
has been duly incorporated on November ! 7 .
1986. b\ the issuance ol a Certificate ol
Incorporation by the Secretary .)! State in
accordance with the applicable provisions ol
the Official Code ol Georgia, Annotated.
I he initial registered office ot the corpora
tion is located at Four North Parkway
Square. 4200 Northside Parkway. N.W..
Atlanta. Georgia .40327-4020 and 'ts initial
registered agent at such address is Elliott
Cohen.
COHEN POI LOCK MERLIN
Attorneys at l aw
Four North Parkway Square
4200 Northside Parkway N.W
•Atlanta, Georgia 30327-4020
12 5: 12 12. 12 10; 12 26
i
A Statement ol Intent to dissolve "EPIC,
INC ." a Georgia corporation with registered i
office at 2675 Cumberland Parkway. N W :
Atlanta. Georgia 40449. has been delivered j
to the Secretary ol State by said corporation j
and liled by him on November 24. 1986, in |
accordance with the applicable provisions ol |
the Otlicial Code ol Georgia. Annotated
HABIF. H AHIF & FRANCO
Attorneys at I aw
Concord Bldg Suite 200
146 Marietta St.. N W
Atlanta. Georgia 40401
12 5. 12 12; 12 Id. 12 26
' I S DEVF.l.OPMl N I CO.. INC " has been
duly incorporated on November Id. |dK6. by J
the issuance ol a Certilicatc of Incorporation ;
by the Secretary ol State in accordance w ith I
the applicable pros isions ol the OiliciaI C ode |
of Georgia, Annotated. I he initial registered :
otfice of the corporation is located at 448 J
East Paces Ferry Road. N I . Atlanta. Ful- j
ton County. Georgia 40405 and its initial I
registered agent at such address is .lames .1
Sea vo.
Wl INS LOCK. SCAVO &
MON I AI I O. P C
Attorneys at I aw
448 Fast Paces Ferry Road. N I
Atlanta. Geoigia 40405
12 5; 12 12. 12 Id. 12 26
“EMPLOY MEN I II ARNINCi IN NOV A- j
I IONS, INC" has been duly incorporated I
on November Id. Id86. b\ the issuance ol a
Certificate ol Incorporation 6\ the Secretary ,
ol Slate in accordance with the applicable !
provisions ol die Official f ode >1 Georgia.
Annotated I he initial registered oil ice ol I In
corporation is located ai '4ds Piedmont
Road. Eleven Piedmont Center. Suite 806
and its initial registered agent at such address j
is Joseph I efkott
I I I KOFI . Dl Nt AN.
GRIMI S A Dl RMI R. PC
Attorneys at I aw
I leven Piedmont Center. Suite 806
4495 Piedmont Road. N I
Atlanta. Georgia 40405
12 5. 12 12; 12 Id. 12 26
"HQ-I. Inc.." has been duly incorporated on
November 21. 1986, by the issuance ol a Cer
tificate ol Incorporation by the Secretary ol
State in accordance with the applicable pro-
\ isions ol the Official Code ol Georgia.
Annotated I he initial registered olliee ol the
corporation is located at Suite 200. South
Building. 5180 Roswell Road. N.W . Atlanta.
Georgia 40442-2208 and its initial registered
agent at such address is Sheldon 1 Friedman.
SHFl DON E. FRIEDMAN. P C
Attorneys at I aw
5180 Roswell Road. N W
South Building. Suite 200
Atlanta. Georgia 40442
12 5; 12 12; 12 Id; 12 26
“CHASE ROAD. I ID" has been duly
incorporated on November 14. Id86. by the
issuance ol a Certificate ol Incorporation by
IheSecretarv ol Stale in accordance with the
applicable provisions ol the Official Code ol
Georgia. Annotated. 3he initial registered
office ot the corporation is located at 444
Sandy Springs Circle. Suite 208. Atlanta,
Georgia 40428 and its initial registered agent
ai such address is David .1 Perling
DAVID .1 PI RI INC,
Attorney at I aw
Sandy Spnngs Commcicc Bldg . Suite 208
4 4 4 sandy Springs Circle. N I
Atlanta. Georgia 40428
12 5. 12 12. 12 Id. 12 26
going to have some major prob
lems they need help with. We are
just going to have to accept that
fact and take care of them in the
most humane way possible.”
The fact that mental illness in
America is still treated as the
ultimate stigma bothers Mrs.
Elson. “It’s a constant uphill bat
tle to fight the stigma of mental
illness." she said. “We see it espe
cially when we try to get group
homes for people who have
chronic mental illnesses estab
lished in communities. We see it
at zoning meetings and especially
in the workplace."
As she criss-crosses the coun
try speaking on behalf of NMHA
and making pleas for funding
and earnest volunteers, she notes
why the association needs support:
- One out of every five Amer
icans suffers from a diagnosable
mental disorder. That is 48 mil
lion people.
7.5 million children under
18 suffer from mental disorders,
two million of w hom are in need
of immediate care. Yet. only
500,000 arc receiving any mental
health treatment.
Of all illnesses requiring
hospitalization, mental and emo
tional disorders are first. They
represent 30 percent of the total,
or more than cancer, heart and
respiratory illnesses combined.
—The annual cost of mental
illnesses to society is $67.4 billion
in reduced productivity, lost
employment, direct clinical care
and social welfare programs.
Mental illness is the nation's
number one health problem.
Few people doubt Susie Elson
will be able to successfully press
her case for mental health sup
port as she tours the country,
l ong-time friend Carole Gold
berg says the NMHA chief has a
“magnetism” about her.
“1 think Susie's magnetism is
that she sets her example by
doing.” Goldberg said. “She is
the kind of person that everyone
would like to emulate."
Goldberg notes that Mrs. Elson
is respectful of the people with
whom she works and. in return,
is respected for it.
“She treats all people the
same,” she said, “it doesn’t mat
ter if she is dealing with a staff
person, a volunteer or if she is
dealing with Rosalynn Carter.”
In fact, former first lady
Rosalynn Carter, herself a long
time advocate for mental health,
will present Mrs. Elson with an
award recognizing her efforts on
behalf of mental health. Billed as
“An Evening to Honor Susie
Elson,” the event will take place
Thursday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at
the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead.
In addition to Mrs. Carter’s
tribute, entertainer and Atlanta
resident Peabo Bryson will be
featured.
Two-thirds of the proceeds
from the $125 a person gala will
remain in Atlanta to help finance
local mental health projects.
For more information and
reservations call Joyce Shlesin-
ger at 261-8329.
/ \
Watch For Our
Hanuka Gift Guide
Coming Dec. 12 & 19
V J
j “f.J.l AW’FORD DISTRIBUlORS. INC."
j has been duly incorporated on November 19,
I 1986. bv the issuance of a Certificate of
| lneoiporation by the Secretary of State in
accordance with the applicable provisions ot
I the Official Code of Georgia, Annotated.
I he initial registered otfice ol the corpora
tion is located at Five Piedmont Center.
Suite 500. Atlanta. Georgia 40405 and its
initial registered agent at such address is Jel-
Ires V Berman.
FOX & BERMAN. P C
Attorneys at l aw
Five Piedmont Center. Suite 500
4525 Piedmont Road. N.E.
Atlanta. Georgia 40.405
I2 5; I2 I2; 12, 19; 12 26
j SPFCIAI ENVIRONMENTAL SER-
! VICES. INC." has been duly incorporated
I on November 20. 1986. by the issuance ol a
| Certificate of Incorporation by the Secretary
I ol State in accordance with the applicable
j provisions ol the Otlicial Code ol Georgia.
! Annotated. I he initial registered office ol the
corporation is located at Six North Parkway
Square. 4200 Northside Parkway. N W .
Atlanta. Georgia 40327-3020 and its initial
i registered agent at such address is Henry M
j I einstein.
III NRY M I I INS 1 FIN
Attorney at Law
Six North Parkway Square
4200 Northside Parkway. N W
Atlanta. Georgia 40427-3020
12 5. 12 12; 12 Id. 12 26
Preserve
the
future.
Take stock in America.
Buy US. Savings Bonds.