National Alliance on Mental Illness widens reach to include Monument, northern Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs Gazette

Dan and Louisa Carscadden moved to the Monument area in 2016, after retiring from careers as schoolteachers in California. Though they were done teaching for a paycheck, Louisa said they knew they were going to “give back to the organization that helped us,” the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Starting next month, NAMI is widening geographical offerings in Colorado Springs and nearby towns, including Monument, to reach more residents with its mental health education programs. The Carscaddens are on board, teaching a free program in Monument from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, from Feb. 6 through April 24.

“(We) really want to teach in our own community,” Louisa said. “That’s important to us.” The couple has previously led a NAMI class; in that case, it was a faith-based program hosted at Woodmen Valley Chapel in northern Colorado Springs.

“This is a class, it’s not a support group (and) you’ll go home with a huge binder’s worth of materials,” Louisa said, adding that some participants do form “support groups amongst themselves and still connect, email and form friendships” after meeting through the nonprofit.

NAMI strives to teach family members and individuals to improve their mental wellness and reduce stigma attached to the topic of mental illness.

According to Lynn Shull, manager of programs and volunteers for NAMI, the nonprofit is “upstream” on the issues. “We’re trying to be proactive, hoping to help strengthen families, (for them) to know what’s out there and get the help they need and figure out how to navigate (mental health challenges),” Shull said.

The organization provides education people might not get from a medical establishment when their family member is diagnosed with a medical illness. Prevention and “group wisdom” are primary goals.

Shull said NAMI staff and volunteers were hearing that people had trouble getting to the usual classes they offer in northern and downtown Colorado Springs. More volunteers stepped to help expand the programs, so starting in February, NAMI’s popular “Family-to-Family” program — designed for family and friends caring for an adult with mental illness — will be taught in three new locations. The 12-week class will be taught first in Monument, then later this year in southeastern Colorado and then in Teller County. NAMI also offers a class called “Basics,” for parents with school-age children battling mental illness.

“We’ve gone from two (classes) this quarter to five,” said Shull. Classes provide information on mental illness symptoms and medication, and provide guidance on communication, problem-solving and self-care for caregivers.

Classes are taught by those who have experienced the challenges that come with mental illness. Shull said it can be a great relief and support for people just to be in the same room with others who understand the world they’re navigating.

Shull said too often people will seek out mental health programs when there’s a crisis, though when things seem stable, they don’t feel the need to pursue help.

NAMI’s “Beneath the Surface” campaign is trying to meet daily, more ordinary relationship and emotional needs. Developed in partnership with local youths, the goal is to “bring help down to the day-to-day level,” Shull said. “There doesn’t have to be necessarily a crisis.”

Shull gave examples of daily stresses, like when a student’s grades are dipping and they’re afraid parents will be mad, or when someone has a fight with a girlfriend or boyfriend. The Beneath the Surface program helps address these life experiences in the moment, encouraging people to seek help right at the time, Shull said.

“Text and reach out. There is help if you’re going through these things,” she added. “It’s common. It’s OK to talk about it. It’s OK to get the help you need.”

For Louisa Carscadden, simply encouraging her students to learn and share their experiences is a great place to start in the battle against mental illness.

“Any kind of education on mental health will help to end the stigma so that people start talking about it,” she said.

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