Mental Health Training Coming to Silver Bay and Finland April 10th

Carrie Anderson, a member of the North Shore Mental Health Group (NSMHG), reflected a bit on the present, future, and past of the organization as I spoke to her about the upcoming trainings in Silver Bay and Finland. Thinking about the origin of the NSMHG in 2017, Carrie advised that their mission has shifted and broadened since then, but the heart of the group has always been the same. “We’re com­mitted to mental wellness through community events and education,” the first line of their mission state­ment reads, and they have been striving to do just that and more.

In the very near future, one of these important community events is coming to both Finland and Silver Bay. The mental health training that occurred in Two Harbors in early February will soon be host­ed by the NSMHG further north to ensure access to this much needed education. For those who may have been unable to make the drive to Lake View for the first round, this is a welcome opportunity and ful­fills one of NSMHG’s goals as an organization.

“Our big reason to exist as a group is to bring resources up here and not always have people from here have to go someplace else. It’s a long way to go,” said Carrie.

NSMHG has provided many edu­cational opportunities in the past, working with both kids and adults to provide resources and strategies. Among some of their initiatives, they’ve worked with organizations such as the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), William Kelley High School, Age to Age, and Lake View to offer mental health awareness programs and trainings, like Mental Health First Aid and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer.)

This training is a bit different in that it is tailored for our county (it’s even called L.A.K.E.), geared to­ward non-professionals, and offers ways to be there on an early inter­vention model. It was developed by Sarah Wells, a mental health thera­pist and educator who works at the College of St. Scholastica, in part­nership with Lakeview Hospital’s Community Outreach Program and Lake County Public Health.

“Sarah has modified and added to the QPR program to include some helpful mental health information,” said Carrie. L.A.K.E. stands for Listen, Ask, Know your resources, and Encourage help. The skills dis­cussed are designed to learn how to be of help to someone who may be experiencing any level of mental health challenge, not just a crisis.

The one and a half hour training is coming to both Silver Bay and Finland on Wednesday, April 10th. It will be held at the Claire Nelson Center in Finland from 1:00 – 2:30 PM and at the Silver Bay Public Library from 6:00 – 7:30 PM. Ev­eryone is invited to attend and there is no registration required. There is no cost for the training.

For those choosing the Finland session, note that the Clare Nelson Center’s AEOA senior dinner will be before the training. The meal al­ways features a short presentation. In keeping with the theme of men­tal health, Alexi Peterson, coordi­nator of our area’s Crisis Response call center, will share how her team can help when someone calls 988 (also 844-772-4724).

“People should come to the Be Here trainings because one in five people have a mental health chal­lenge,” Carrie said. “That means everybody knows somebody who may be suffering in silence and it’s good to know what to do. This class will give you some good pointers and tips to get a good chance at get­ting them the help they need in that moment.”

As the group thinks about the fu­ture, Carrie said that the NSMHG is focusing on three areas. They would like to establish a more con­crete identity and become more to spread their reach. Their logo is in the works, and they are conducting a mission statement redo. They also want to move forward as a 501C3 and, as such, they are establishing financing and looking into grants. Their dream is to create a meeting space where anybody can go and hang out and not be alone.

“There’s a great interest in having something up here that’s a resource for anybody to use to take care of their mental health and well-be­ing,” Carrie said.

For more information on the AEOA Senior Dinners, visit NSAPartners.org. For questions regarding join­ing the mental health peer group or joining the NSMHG, email ns­mentalhealth@gmail.com.  If you or someone you know may need help dial 988 or 844-772-4724 for resources and assistance.