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Thomasville mental health group seeking partnerships in Moultrie

Moultrie Observer - 4/29/2021

Apr. 28—THOMASVILLE, Ga. — A Thomasville-based non-profit, Outreach Angels, which focuses on mental health needs, is reaching out to Moultrie with an invitation to events on May 13 and 14.

Outreach Angels was founded by southwest Georgia mental health professionals earlier this year when they realized that the area's mentally ill population was suffering deeply from the social restrictions COVID-19 had imposed, according to founder Dr. Courtney Kelleigh. The group's mission is to provide community mental health outreach to combat the impact of social isolation on outcomes such as self-harm, suicide attempts and completed suicides.

On Thursday, May 13, the group is offering free transportation to Moultrie residents who are struggling with mental health issues and are interested in attending a free Christian concert. Sean Feucht will be performing at the Thomasville Ritz Amphitheatre at 6 p.m. If you are interested in this opportunity and have a need, email Kelleigh at courtney@crisis-outreach.orgto sign up for transportation.

The following day, May 14, Outreach Angels will host a virtual mental health town hall. Kelleigh said the region's biggest names in mental health care, non-profit CEOs, the state's most talented psychiatrists as well as local government officials, will come together via a Zoom call to discuss solutions to the mental health crisis in Southwest Georgia and reducing the incidence of suicide. This event will be recorded and made available on the non-profit's website, crisis-outreach.org.

The idea for Outreach Angels was created when Kelleigh met Chris Sheffield while completing her psychiatry internship at Georgia Pines, where he worked at the time.

One day she audited Sheffield's addiction support group. The two quickly realized that they saw many things the same way. After exchanging a few words, Sheffield conveyed three key things about himself: He was a former professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had been sober for nine years from crack cocaine, and addiction destroyed his kidney and he was awaiting a transplant.

Kelleigh said Sheffield's commitment to his work immediately resonated with her. She was brought into suicide prevention after losing several family members, including her father, to a rare genetic disease. Sheffield's and Kelleigh's first conversation was cut short when he had to undergo pulmonary testing to assess his fitness for a new organ.

Since then, they have been making the most of Sheffield's health and energy to plan the Outreach Angels non-profit, Kelleigh said. Penina Ivey, also an employee of Georgia Pines, was brought into the fold of Outreach Angels for her victim advocacy skills. The organization is partnered with Goodwill Industries Big Bend to provide community outreach to their housing properties throughout Georgia. They have visited 30 sites this year and served 100 clients in 2021.

They began hosting events in residential mental health settings and delivering care packages to get that population engaged and prevent anyone from feeling forgotten or falling through the cracks.

The group is looking for volunteers with a mental health background as well as individuals with software development skills to help launch their web support platform. Kelleigh said they are looking to form institutional and political alliances in Moultrie and welcome opportunities for partnership.

If you are interested in having Outreach Angels visit your group home, mental health home, psychiatric hospital, prison, or rehab, email or call Kelleigh at courtney@crisis-outreach.org, 850-242-1858, or visit the website, crisis-outreach.org.

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