(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Mike Johanns raised a mental health flag today at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln as part of a public awareness campaign
spearheaded by the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) to increase awareness and understanding of mental illness and give those who struggle with mental illness hope and encouragement.

The mental health flag was designed and hand-painted by artist Kristy Worthen of Salem, Ark., a woman with bipolar disorder. It features a
lighthouse shining a beam of light over the water and contains the inscription “Shedding Light on Mental Health Issues.”

Worthen joined Gov. Johanns and Lt. Gov. Dave Heineman at the flag-raising along with her mother, Mary, and Colleen Wuebben, executive director of the Nebraska Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).

Gov. Johanns said, “It is time to tear down old stereotypes and recognize the dramatic advances in mental health treatment that enable many people
with mental illnesses to lead productive lives. I’m proud today to raise Kristy Worthen’s mental health flag on behalf of the NLGA to draw attention
to the courage of those who struggle with mental illness and give them hope.”

The flag has flown at state capitols in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and also in Washington D.C.

Gov. Johanns said, “It’s wonderful that so many states are realizing the importance of providing for the needs of people with mental illnesses. It
is my hope that this event will further underscore the need to address the inadequacy of our current system of mental health services. The time has
come to offer mental health services statewide so people with mental illnesses can obtain treatment close to their families and communities where they receive the support that we know is so important to recovery.”

Lawmakers will soon begin debating the Governor’s proposed reform of Nebraska’s behavioral health system. The Governor seeks to provide an array of mental health services in each region of the state to reduce the hardship on families currently separated by long distances when a loved one is diagnosed with an illness.