Community members invited to learn from FCC, local experts during ‘Opening The Door’

The Other Door is welcoming community members to a pair of panel discussions from local experts on Thursday, January 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. at 1321 North Main Street, Viroqua, Wisconsin.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with the first panel starting at 5:15 p.m., featuring Patrick Kelly, Substance Abuse Counselor with Family & Children’s Center, Kevin Schmidt, Mental Health Counselor with Gundersen Health System, Monica Horner, Drug Court Coordinator with Vernon County, and Officer Travis Sutton with the Viroqua Police Department for a discussion on AODA. At 5:45 p.m., Lynn Prestwood, Peer Support Specialist with Family & Children’s Center and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) board member, will be joined by psychiatrist Katie Fassbinder, M.D. and David Chakoian, M.D., Family Medicine practitioner with the Hirsh Clinic for a discussion on mental health.

The Other Door hosts more than 2,000 visits annually from those seeking support. This program is one of Family & Children’s Center’s more than 20 programs that focus on mental health services to name a few.

In the state of Wisconsin, more than 400,000 people have self-identified as having had a problem with substance abuse. Many of these individuals feel they face the barriers of shame or costs to getting help.

But that is why The Other Door is there, as it is a free drop-in center offering services to respond to this growing need in the state and nation.

Nolan Frank, a former regular attendee at The Other Door said about the drop-in center, “The Other Door became an absolute rock in my recovery.  I was here when there were three of us regularly attending [Narcotics Anonymous] meetings.  I kept coming back and stayed until there were 30 of us. One year, when I was really struggling, I went to approximately 180 meetings in 180 days. I also became involved with some of the mental wellness programming offered through the center, for instance, Recovery Through Sharing with FCC staff member Lynn Prestwood.

According to Lynn Prestwood, Recovery Through Sharing is a specific aspect of our services here at The Other Door. “It is designed to help expand the sense of recovery enough to help integrate substance-abuse recovery into the overall, psychological mental health of those we serve.”

“Staff like Lynn Prestwood and others at the Center were here for me, every step of the way,” adds Nolan Frank.  “They counseled me and listened to me and supported me through problems and victories, over almost eight cumulative years of recovery here in Viroqua.”

Lynn Prestwood herself has a full-circle story of support through The Other Door. She was formerly a client. After completing training through the National Alliance for Mental Illness, today she is a trained facilitator for The Other Door, as well as serving as a Peer Support Specialist and NAMI board member.

Similarly, Nolan Frank is an honors student with a 3.9 GPA, recognized academically, and with a full-ride scholarship as an Adult Outstanding Student.  Nolan has shared his testimony with hope for others. He believes that he writes about his experience for the next person out there who is homeless, addicted, scared, lonely, suicidal, depressed, and broken.

Information will also be available from Vernon County service providers during the event.