Thursday, June 05, 2008

News: WKYC's Tom Beres Honored with Award

CLEVELAND -- For the past 40 years, the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board has worked to serve and protect residents with issues such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

At Wednesday morning's meeting, the board's leaders outlined future needs and rewarded successful programs, workers, and advocates who stepped up to help those with mental health issues over the past year.

Channel 3 News and its Senior Political Correspondent Tom Beres won the media "Helping Hands" award. In May 2007, Tom did a story about "Living Miracles," a support group for those coping with mental health issues.

Members discussed their personal struggles and efforts to dispel stereotypes of mental patients as dangerous "ticking time bombs." The story was aired just after the Virginia Tech massacre by a gunman with mental health issues who did not get help he needed.