The recent recognition of two Pleasantville police officers who saved the life of a troubled teenager sheds a light on the many ways mental illness can impact communities.

Sgt. Juan Garcia and Officer Erin Holly were among five police officers who received Liberty Medals for their response to a call in April about a teenager who threatened to jump from an overpass above the Saw Mill River Parkway. State Senator Peter Harckham awarded them the medals in September.

Police Chief Eric Grutzner praised the officers and their response to the call.

“It sends a clear message that we are compassionate and use whatever resources that are available to do what we can, ” he explained.

“In this day and age, these are the issues that we are dealing with,” Grutzner said. “We have to start to look at mental health issues the same way we look at physical health issues.

“The more people hear about it, the more real it becomes. The more there is understanding, the more we can take it out of the shadows.”

Mental health resources in the village of Pleasantville include the Break the Hold Foundation, which is centered around the importance of mental illness and suicide prevention. Pace University’s Pleasantville campus also has a Counseling & Accessibility Services office.