CENTER: Brings hope to region

Mental illness is affecting more than 350 million people worldwide and just like heart disease or cancer, shedding light on the subject will help flush out the misconceptions that prevent people in crisis from seeking treatment.

As a behavioral health and suicide prevention advocate in our community, I’ve heard story after story of people experiencing a crisis and not having access or support to get the help they need. The Northern Idaho Crisis Center, set to open in December, is a voluntary treatment center for those who need emotional assistance. Individuals seeking help might be a mother having harmful thoughts, a businessman bearing too much stress at work or going through a life transition that is taking a toll on your routine responsibilities and ability to cope. Counselors and nurses at the Crisis Center will connect people with local resources and headed on a path to recovery and stability.

What was once a distant dream is becoming a reality thanks to organizations across the region coming together to provide support services for the Crisis Center. For example, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Far North Chapter in Bonner and Boundary counties has developed a plan that will help provide transportation to the Crisis Center for those living in those two counties.

While stories of people in crisis will still be heard, I am hopeful that the work of the crisis center will make an impact in making happier and more hopeful endings in North Idaho.

CATHERINE PERUSSE

Chair, SPAN North Idaho