PANAMA CITY, Fla.—Last night, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis held a town hall meeting in Panama City to bring together stakeholders to discuss problems, including mental health issues, most severely impacting the counties torn apart by Hurricane Michael.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, "A crowd of over 100 Bay County students, teachers, faculty, parents, mental health providers, first responders and community leaders gathered to discuss a very real and critical issue—how do residents piece together their lives and deal with the mental health crisis at local schools. The youth in this area are grappling with devastation many never see in their lifetime. It's a sad reality, but I want to see solutions to make these communities whole again.

"I'm calling on state and federal elected leaders to join me to ensure solutions are community-driven so that we can combat the mental trauma of recovering from Hurricane Michael. My heart breaks to see people struggling to cope with the aftermath of this catastrophic storm.”

Bay County Superintendent of Schools Bill Husfelt said, “I’m extremely proud of my students, teachers, and faculty for participating in this important mental health discussion. We are on the front lines of the Hurricane Michael recovery effort, and I’m hopeful this event will shed light on solutions to this mental health crisis. I’m truly thankful that CFO Patronis has made it one of his top priorities to get to the bottom of these real-life challenges.”

State Representative Jason Shoaf said, “I thank CFO Patronis for hosting this informative event and his constant dedication to the recovery effort. The issues presented during the town hall are very real and similar to what I’ve seen and heard in my district. Panhandle residents recovering from Hurricane Michael deserve the full support of state, local and federal officials to help residents overcome unique disaster recovery concerns.”