COPE coalition donates to NAMI Northern Lakes

The holiday season may be over, but the season of giving is not. The Northwoods Tri- County Mental Health COPE Coalition has continued to give by donating $500 to the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI Northern Lakes, to support services and programming in our communities.

COPE Coalition members come together all year round, along with community partners, to serve and support people affected by mental health and suicide through education, intervention, and prevention efforts. In February 2021, 36.4% of adults in Wisconsin reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. 18.6% were unable to get needed counseling or therapy (source: www.nami.org/wp- content/uploads/2023/07/WisconsinStateFactSheet.pdf).

NAMI Northern Lakes provides free in-person and virtual services to those affected by mental illness including peer and family support groups, a peer-run drop-in center in Rhinelander, and educational classes. They also offer resources, presentations and trainings in the community and advocate at local, state and national levels for policies that will improve the lives of people affected by mental health conditions.

With many in our community continuing to face barriers to care for mental health conditions, donations to NAMI Northern Lakes help fund presentations and resources, train volunteers with lived experience to provide free evidence-based programs, offer hope, and break the stigma surrounding mental illness.

To learn more about programs offered by NAMI Northern Lakes, visit naminorthernlakes.org/, or call 715-420-1700, Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To learn more about the Northwoods Tri-County Mental Health COPE Coalition, visit mhcopecoalition.wixsite.com/mysite or contact Rachael Cornelius, Community Health Educator at the Vilas County Public Health Department at 715-479- 3657 or [email protected].