Cumberland County man acknowledged for selfless psychological well being advocacy | Jefferson Awards
Louis Bianco has been each a affected person and a nurse. He’s now working to unfold consciousness in direction of a rising drawback.
YORK, Pa. — “I used to be recognized in early highschool with a psychological sickness.” Louis Bianco of Cumberland County was simply 15 years previous when his world abruptly modified.
“I used to be the captain of the wrestling group and the lead within the college play in eighth grade. Then, abruptly, my life was falling aside and I needed to do college work within the basement of lockdown psychiatric amenities simply to attempt to sustain with my classmates,” Bianco stated.
He wasn’t anticipated to graduate highschool, however he did. Louis even went on to graduate from faculty with a nursing diploma.
“I began working in the identical amenities the place I used to be a affected person after I was in my youth. I realized a lot essential info after I was within the hospital after I misplaced every thing I used to be working in direction of, [I figured] why cannot we educate this to most of the people in order that they will presumably keep away from that disaster?” Bianco instructed FOX43.
He set off on what he calls his life’s mission, to enhance the psychological well being system by educating others.
Bianco spent the previous decade serving on panels at faculties and excessive colleges about tips on how to improve psychological wellness training in colleges.
He spoke to future law enforcement officials, legal professionals and academics at numerous locations, wrote three psychological wellness books in three years and now sits because the psychological well being chair for the Cumberland/Perry Psychological Well being, Mental & Developmental Disabilities Board.
Bianco additionally works with York faculty nursing college students of their simulation lab, appearing as a affected person in varied psychological well being eventualities.
“I am good at what I do as a result of I’ve the expertise of being on the affected person aspect,” he stated, “Though I can not make a residing doing it, I’ve supplied myself to the trigger and can proceed to take action.”
Because the demand for extra psychological well being care continues to extend all throughout the nation, Louis says he is not giving up anytime quickly.
“It is more durable to do the job and extra folks want the assistance, so I am doing it. There’s a want for it each as a nurse and as somebody who additionally has a psychological sickness,” Bianco stated.
“My life will depend on it and it is also my life’s work. What we’re taking a look at wants extra than simply consciousness, we’re taking a look at a psychological well being disaster each logistically and truly for our youth and in our inhabitants basically,” he continued.
That selfless mindset incomes him a nomination for a Jefferson Award.
“For somebody to see that and nominate me after which to be a finalist could be very gratifying and an honor,” Louis stated fortunately.
If you need to seek out out extra about Louis’ psychological well being advocacy, you may contact him right here.
For extra info on the Jefferson Awards, click on right here.
