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W ELLN E SS N WELLNESS CONNECTION CONNECTION September 2022 August 2022 Issue Two Issue One
RAINBOW’S END CHRISTOPHER’S STORY THE CRISIS HOTLINE MEN’S SECOND National Alliance on Mental Illness of the Wood River Valley CHANCE LIVING
•JENNA’S Supporting our community through offerings of free support groups for adults, adolescents, families, and STORY survivors of suicide loss. • Educating our community through free classes and trainings for families and individuals. • Advocating for equity and accessibility to mental health services at systemic levels.
R E C OV E RY
“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the help I got from NAMI. Before I got involved with NAMI, I had feelings of solitude and a persistent dislike for the world I was put in. I never thought about my future, I lived in the moment. Being part of a Hispanic household, there is a barrierTHERE between our culture and mental health. ‘If you don’t think aboutISit, it’ll go away.’ That’s what I would get if I mentionedHOPE there was a feeling of loneliness, sadness and unspeakable voices in my head. Growing up in that environment I grew up with the mindset of shutting things out. If help was offered, I wouldn’t take it. Why would I try to open up again just to be shut out? That’s how I would think of it. I didn’t have a safe place available to me if I wanted to say something. Home wasn’t an option, my old school wasn’t an option either. There were many days of me arriving late every day to avoid the crowded hallways. I would fake a sickness just so I had an excuse not to go. I continued to try and isolate myself from everyone and everything. These feelings started when I was in fifth grade. The longer I kept it in, the worse this feeling grew. I went to Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mental Health has self-harm as a way of coping and had thoughts of suicide. I just become more prevalent than ever before. With one-inwanted to relieve myself. I drowned myself in school work and adults, and one-in-four children experiencing a Mental Welcome to the premier issue of Wellness Connection,five a collaboration internships just to be away from home and as a distraction. I HealthOur Condition of Rainbow’s End Recovery Center and the Crisis Hotline. goal in any given year, it is time for more than needed something else to think about, I didn’t want to stay just awareness, but acceptance and understanding. Everyone to provide timely information on mental health issues, such as addiction, stuck in myishead. plays a part in the acceptance depression, grief, and trauma. hope to shed light on and encourage One day the Bloom Youth Project hadWe a workshop. It was of Mental Health within their discussion of mental illness, and recovery. will present stories of hope and about mental health. I wasaddiction, uncomfortable with theWe subject community. We invite you encouragement as well as essays on related topics. This is just a start. We welcome your already but went through it. That’s where I met Brittany to become a mental health feedback willhave be seeking submissions from our readers: Shipley. Iand never felt a connection with someone before.wellness23@gmail.com advocate, reach out and learn I felt moved and inspired that I had to find a way to talk to about how you can get involved her again. After the workshop, I waited till I could talk to her ainbow’s End Recovery set out staffed by good-hearted souls with little with NAMI-WRV or the 5B in the hallway, I asked for a hug and the sense of security and Suicide Prevention Alliance to be different than the traditional or no experience so there were some love was so strong. When I got into high school I got involved and client make had a lasting impactstory, used a substance use disorder treatment facility and crashes along the way. Each a different in Blue Birds and grew close with Brittany. Bluebumps Birds is a club within your community my friends and family had attended. A The clinical director and one full-time different drug, but in thetoday! end, each was during lunch at Wood River. I was surrounded by others that Email info@namiwrv.org to substance abuse counselor and an energy counselor bore the burden of treating the a person in need of unconditional love had similar experiences and feelings. Blue Birds is my safe make your mark! healer potential of the with other clients, but and because we were new, there and care. Once they realized they were place.raved I wasabout able tothe make connections people property in Challis on the Salmon River as was only a handful at a time. accepted as a whole person and no make some friends. I wish I knew about it when I was younger the perfect place for people to heal. So it longer identified by their drug use, they and needed a place to be. I now think about my future, I want Going forward, we were able to recruit began. could begin to heal. They would open to major in psychology and take what I have learned and my more and more qualified staff. We up to each other, counselors, and group experiences to help others. I want others to know they’re not The easy part was converting the bed-andworked on honing the curriculum and alone and there are resources to help them like NAMI.” members realizing they were not unique breakfast facility into client rooms. The schedule to accommodate the needs or alone. hard part was the bureaucratic hoops. of the clients and the requirements of -Blue Bird Program Participant The hardest part was finding employees. accrediting agencies. We saw more clients We provided community experiences, and were building a reputation for quality such as the Fourth of July celebrations, When we opened our doors, we were care.
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