Northland Counseling Center-Aitkin

Please take a few minutes to visit the link below and view all the local Non-Profits who would benefit from the support from the Seeds of Change Grant. Thank you to the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation for this wonderful opportunity! Please vote: Here is the link for the voting: https://poll-maker.com/QA2OYZ6SN

Here is another interview to bring awareness to mental health. We would like to thank Molly Flaherty for sharing her family’s story and hopefully it helps others out there to understand that the pain is temporary, it will pass, ask for help, people are there for you and we want to help!

Here is a short section from her interview…
It is astonishing the effect one person has on this world. Their absence ripples through like waves, and is never ending.

Whatever the battle is within, it is worth the fight to stay.

Here is another interview, to start off our week!

Ashley Skelly, answers a few questions to share her thoughts and opinions on how to best support a child who is active in sports (or other activities) and a few signs to keep a watchful eye on to ensure your child does not begin to struggle with anxiety or depression.

If you have more questions on how to best support your busy child/teen drop us a message and we are happy to answer your questions!

Thank You Ashley!

APRIL MISSION AWARDS:
During the month of April staff in the following programs were up for nominations:
• GR Crisis/HOPE
• I-Falls Crisis
• BHH Team

The following staff have won the April Mission Awards and will receive a small award!

The awards go to:

HOPE Team (GR CRISIS):
🏆Kim Bymark
“Kim is prompt when she receives a call from a person in crisis, she is knowledgeable regarding services available. Kim is kind, compassionate and takes her time to listen and give feedback and support.”

I-Falls Crisis:
🏆Joe Krause
“Joe is always very helpful and you can count on him in any given situation when need arises.”

Behavioral Health Homes (BHH) – Grand Rapids
🏆Zoey Harshbarger
“Zoey always goes above and beyond for clients and co-workers!”

Behavioral Health Homes (BHH) – International Falls
🏆Sharon Kostiuk
“Sharon is very helpful with her clients and goes the extra mile to assist anyway she can!”

Award:

Going to be a great event! Spread the word 🗣️

Northland and its staff would like to say THANK YOU to Super One Liquor & Food for supporting our communities Mental Health. We would also like to say THANK YOU to those who donated to us. We are grateful for the support of our communities and if you have questions or concerns about our organization please feel free to send us a message and we would be happy to discuss those with you. If you would like to tour a site please let us know and we will be happy to assist with that. Thank you again.

Here is interview #6! This interview is with Abby Skelly, she plays Hockey and Softball and answers a few questions of what young athletes can do to keep healthy when they begin their journey in middle/high school sports.

The purpose of this interview is to demonstrate that mental health is a part of the athletic process just as much as one staying physically fit for the activity. We want our mental health to stay fit just like our physical health. Fit mental health can improve your athletic performance just like your physical fitness.

If you have questions please drop us a message!

Here is interview #5! This interview is with Danica Skelly, she plays Hockey and Softball and answers a few questions of what young athletes can do to keep healthy when they begin their journey in middle/high school sports.

The purpose of this interview is to demonstrate that mental health is a part of the athletic process just as much as one staying physically fit for the activity. We want our mental health to stay fit just like our physical health. Fit mental health can improve your athletic performance just like your physical fitness.

If you have questions please drop us a message!

This year, Northland was able to provide two scholarships opportunities; one for a high school graduate going into Nursing and one for a high school student going in Social Work/Psychology.

We are excited to announce the 2024 recipients:
• Megan Goodell, Northland’s Nursing Scholarship
• Claire Louis, Northland’s SW/Psychology Scholarship

Congratulations to you both and to the rest of the class of 2024! Northland wishes you the best of luck in your college education!

Here is interview #4! This story demonstrates that even if you are a working professional in you can still be impacted by mental health!

Here is a statement from the article: Something else that helped me during the hospital stay was the Doctor. He said something that I wish I would have heard sooner.

He said, “Having a mental illness such as aniexty, depression, adhd, ocd, etc. is the exact same thing as having cancer or any other disease. Something is not right with your body and you cannot change that!”

Mental health is similar to our physical health and when something is ‘off’ with our physical health we have no problem seeing the doctor, this should be the same for our mental health. Seeing a mental health professional does not mean you will be in therapy forever. It maybe 2-3 times it maybe a year, everyone is different. It does not mean weekly therapy, it could be monthly, it’s about what YOU need.

Also, we understand that time is precious, you can do your intake online and all of your sessions online! If you are not ready to come into our office this is an option for you!

Appointments can be 30 mins to 50 mins long. The initial appointment is a little longer, as we are required to complete an assessment. We are happy to answer any questions that you may have, send a message if you have questions!

Interview #3 came from one of our therapists children! The child was asked about what they thought their mom did at work and how their mom helps others.

Thank you for answering these questions!

This interview demonstrates how a young person can view meeting with a therapist and it does not have to ‘scary’. You go to talk to someone and problem solve. Have a conversation. I know my kids have asked, ‘What do you say to someone when they first walk in your office.’ I told them, ‘I say hello, how has your day been going.’ This is something we all say to most people we meet through the day. You do not have to worry about having things to talk about or saying the ‘right thing’. It starts with a conversation. If you have questions or want to learn more about what therapy or any of other services look like please message us and we are happy to answer any questions!

Happy National Nurses Day to ALL of the nurses under the Northland Umbrella! Thank you for all that you do!

Interview #2 is with Phill Hermel! He and two others are giving back to our community in ‘The Great Itasca Giveback’ by running a marathon, rollerblading close to 100 miles and riding bike for 125 miles.

They are raising funds to help several local organizations in need! - check out their page: The Great Itasca Giveback to learn more.

In this article we want to demonstrate that we all use tools to help keep our mental health in check everyday. You do not have to have something wrong to want to use skills and keep yourself in the best mental mindset you can be in. In therapy, for example, we often encourage people to use skills such as contributing (giving back) or finding meaning in the hardships life throws at you. Here is a great example of those two skills in play. Phill also talks about how he stays motivated during his events, which is another important factor in the world of mental health. -Thank You Phill for taking time to answer these questions! Please check out their page for updates and to learn more about the organizations their fundraising efforts will go to!

Here is part two for our first posted interview for Mental Health Awareness Month.

The purpose of each interview is to demonstrate that mental health is broad and can mean any of the following:

• Coping skills used
• Attending school for a career in MH
• Working in the field
• Utilizing resources
• Having your own symptoms
• Anyone & everyone deals with caring for yours or others mental heath everyday
• Having children impacted with a mental health diagnosis
• Having physical health that cause mental health symptoms

There are so many different aspects to mental health that everyone experiences daily.

An interview with • Ashley Spry (Lanum) • she talks about going into the mental health field, working in the field, what our community should know about reaching out for services and her own personal story about how she manages her family, physical and mental health!
-Thank You Ashley for taking time to answer these questions!

Here is part one for our first posted interview for Mental Health Awareness Month.

The purpose of each interview is to demonstrate that mental health is broad and can mean any of the following:

• Coping skills used
• Attending school for a career in MH
• Working in the field
• Utilizing resources
• Having your own symptoms
• Having children impacted with a mental health diagnosis
• Having physical health that cause mental health symptoms

There are so many different aspects to mental health that everyone experiences daily.

An interview with • Ashley Spry (Lanum) • she talks about going into the mental health field, working in the field, what our community should know about reaching out for services and her own personal story about how she manages her family, physical and mental health!
-Thank You Ashley for taking time to answer these questions!

During this month you get to see additional interviews from community members and another story of the impact of mental health services to our community. Northland has transitioned to become a CCBHC - Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, which allows for us to approach mental health in a holistic manner. In part, we also have to collect data and information on the work we do. So much of what we do is subjective and can be difficult to measure. And we have been brainstorming ways to look at the information in different ways to drive more effective and efficient client care! If you want to read one gentleman’s story and how the numbers reflect to his care follow this link:

https://northlandcounseling.org/my-score-my-progress-my-journey/

May is also National Pet Month month! Stay tuned for pictures of staff member’s pets and how they their pets support their mental health!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month AND we have been fortunate to obtain a few interviews from community members and their views on the topic of Mental Health! And to show the many different sides of how mental health is a part of everyone’s day-to-day activities. Stay Tuned!

As I hope you have seen, we would like to recognize our staff and the great work they do, not only with the folks we work with but with helping each other. This is how ‘Moments of Hope’ came to be. If you have a client that has a story to share or if you would like to share a story in regards to something another staff did please share your Moment of Hope story. Here is the link: https://northlandcounseling.org/moments-of-hope/

Please take a few minutes to read the following story for May’s Moment

Here is our May Story:

Staff Recognized:
Jorgan Harshbarger

Jorgan Harshbarger has been an employee of NCC for over 7 years. During this time, he has worked in the CRS and BHH programs serving clients with a wide variety of needs. Jorgan is patient and treats everyone with respect and compassion. He has great listening skills and helps people create goals that are attainable. Clients know that they can depend on his compassionate and thorough care to walk them through tough times. Jorgan’s strengths have helped him to be an amazing support worker.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF DEDICATION TO NORTHLAND JORGAN! Your way of relating to people and meeting them where they are at will continue to be of benefit to our community. We are grateful for the time we had with you as a co-worker and wish you well in the next step of your calling as a law enforcement officer! – The BHH Team

*permission is granted to use name*
Key chain:

Thank you to Amy Glass and Alyson Lopez for helping with the booth at the children’s fair today!

Thank you to ALL of our Support/Admin Staff that work so hard on the details to keep our organization running smoothly! We have great folks at each counseling location, recovery center, admin office and wellness center! We thank you for all your work in supporting the organization as a whole!

We are finishing up and want to send a HUGE thank you to the individuals and families who have donated to our organization! We are beyond grateful for the community support.

In April 2024, Super One Foods & Super One Liquor locations will be fundraising for non-profit organizations that support mental health services. Northland Counseling Center has been selected for this fundraiser at six Super One locations!

The register campaign will take place Friday, April 5th through Sunday, April 21st at the following Super One locations:
Super One Foods:
• Deer River
• Grand Rapids North
• Grand Rapids South
• International Falls

Super One Liquor:
• Grand Rapids
• International Falls

We would like to thank Super One Foods for giving us this opportunity AND for supporting mental health in our communities!

When you are at the register please consider donating to help us to continue to provide services for those who are uninsured or underinsured. We thank our communities in advance for considering to donate!

A few more days left! Thank you to those who have donated already we are beyond grateful for the community support.

In April 2024, Super One Foods & Super One Liquor locations will be fundraising for non-profit organizations that support mental health services. Northland Counseling Center has been selected for this fundraiser at six Super One locations!

The register campaign will take place Friday, April 5th through Sunday, April 22nd at the following Super One locations:
Super One Foods:
• Deer River
• Grand Rapids North
• Grand Rapids South
• International Falls

Super One Liquor:
• Grand Rapids
• International Falls

We would like to thank Super One Foods for giving us this opportunity AND for supporting mental health in our communities!

When you are at the register please consider donating to help us to continue to provide services for those who are uninsured or underinsured. We thank our communities in advance for considering to donate!

Going on NOW!

In April 2024, Super One Foods & Super One Liquor locations will be fundraising for non-profit organizations that support mental health services. Northland Counseling Center has been selected for this fundraiser at six Super One locations!

The register campaign will take place Friday, April 5th through Sunday, April 22nd at the following Super One locations:
Super One Foods:
• Deer River
• Grand Rapids North
• Grand Rapids South
• International Falls

Super One Liquor:
• Grand Rapids
• International Falls

We would like to thank Super One Foods for giving us this opportunity AND for supporting mental health in our communities!

When you are at the register please consider donating to help us to continue to provide services for those who are uninsured or underinsured. We thank our communities in advance for considering to donate!

MARCH MISSION AWARDS:
During the month of March staff in the following programs were up for nominations:
• Adult Case Management
• Children’s Case Management
• Care Coordinator

The following staff have won the March Mission Awards!

The awards go to:

🏆Children’s Case Management:
• Tracy Duhant
“Tracy builds rapport quickly with clients and families and she is always willing to help out when needed.”

🏆Adult Case Management:
• Kim Hopperton
“She does a wonderful job at showering NCC mission statement to all our clientele.”

🏆Care Coordinator
• Char Crane
“Does a fantastic job communicating on clients with other team members!”

Thank you to our team for supporting our mission!

Tomorrow is the day!

In April 2024, Super One Foods & Super One Liquor locations will be fundraising for non-profit organizations that support mental health services. Northland Counseling Center has been selected for this fundraiser at six Super One locations!

The register campaign will take place Friday, April 5th through Sunday, April 22nd at the following Super One locations:
Super One Foods:
• Deer River
• Grand Rapids North
• Grand Rapids South
• International Falls

Super One Liquor:
• Grand Rapids
• International Falls

We would like to thank Super One Foods for giving us this opportunity AND for supporting mental health in our communities!

When you are at the register please consider donating to help us to continue to provide services for those who are uninsured or underinsured. We thank our communities in advance for considering to donate!

Scroll through and see what positions we are hiring for! Contact info on each page!

As I hope you have seen, we would like to recognize our staff and the great work they do, not only with the folks we work with but with helping each other. This is how ‘Moments of Hope’ came to be. If you have a client that has a story to share or if you would like to share a story in regards to something another staff did please share your Moment of Hope story here is the link: https://northlandcounseling.org/moments-of-hope/

Please take a few minutes to read the following story for April’s Moment of Hope.

Here is our April Story:

Staff Recognized:
Gina Emanuel; Allison O’Hara Meyers; Ashley Hynes; Dessa Bergan; Amie Madl; Joe Krause & April Krause.

We have offices in Aitkin, Grand Rapids, Hibbing & International Falls and what we have learned since the beginning of 2024 is that no matter where our offices are and how much we do, we still have work to do in the fight against the stigma around mental health. This stigma continues to prevent people from all walks of life from walking through clinic doors to sit down and have a conversation with someone. Unfortunately, one of the communities close to our offices suffered a loss. We want to thank the above named individuals for clearing their day and being available for anyone that needed to talk. We also want to thank the ones who had the courage to sit down and talk.

As stated last month, an employment manual does not prepare you for these circumstances. This is another example of our mission statement at work! A community trusted our staff for assistance. Staff who were able and/or willing to help were empowered to do so. Staff were able to respect what the community needed during this time. Thank you to these staff for the HOPE you provide to others.


Keychain:

4 more days!!

In April 2024, Super One Foods & Super One Liquor locations will be fundraising for non-profit organizations that support mental health services. Northland Counseling Center has been selected for this fundraiser at six Super One locations!

The register campaign will take place Friday, April 5th through Sunday, April 22nd at the following Super One locations:
Super One Foods:
• Deer River
• Grand Rapids North
• Grand Rapids South
• International Falls

Super One Liquor:
• Grand Rapids
• International Falls

We would like to thank Super One Foods for giving us this opportunity AND for supporting mental health in our communities!

When you are at the register please consider donating to help us to continue to provide services for those who are uninsured or underinsured. We thank our communities in advance for considering to donate!