Georgia’s First Lady Marty Kemp attended a symposium at the Rosalyn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum held at the Carter Center in Atlanta this week. 

The First Lady is drawing attention to the 988 suicide prevention hotline in Georgia.  According to state officials, only about 16% of people have knowledge of the hotline and that’s something First Lady Kemp wants to change. “We’ve got to make sure that we get the word out,” Marty Kemp said. “Especially with everything the state and individuals have been through. It’s very tough with a pandemic that we never even knew we were going to have. People are struggling, and we recognize that, and we want to help them.” The 988 number was launched nearly two years ago and offers a help line for those struggling with mental health issues.

The mental health forum at the Carter Center was started by former First Lady of Georgia, and of the United States, Rosalyn Carter who dedicated much of her life to raising awareness about mental health issues.