Missy felt as if her mental health disorder had taken over her life and she wasn't sure where to turn. She felt hopeless. Luckily, last July Missy heard about The Wellness Shack, a United Way funded program partner. The first few times she visited, staff just talked with her. They talked about life, life's challenges, lifes's successes, and everything in between. When Missy felt comfortable, they started working on goals and identifying the things that were important to her.
A couple weeks after her first visit, she felt like she needed something more structured, but did not want to be hospitalized. Staff worked with Missy to get her into Transitions, a partial hospitalization program at Mayo Clinic. She spent four weeks there, working extensively on behavioral therapy skills, life skills, and participating in supportive group therapy.
Missy returned to The Wellness Shack to receive peer support focused on strengthening her new coping skills and developing a list of planned goals to accomplish in the next year. Her first goal was to be employed within a year of entering recovery. She worked hard and asked for help when she knew she needed it. Missy crushed her goal to find a job in just 7 months!
Missy still visits The Wellness Shack for support and groups. Now she is always wearing a smile and hopeful about what her future holds.
The Wellness Shack is one of several program partners that are a part of United Way's Community Health Initiative. Your support of United Way and our Health Initative helps build a more resilient Chippewa Valley through supporting mental health prevention and intervention efforts. Together we are changing lives and building a stronger Chippewa Valley!