The regional peer support organization hosted a community open house to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month and dismantle stigma.
Chase Strader knows firsthand about challenges that can creep into your life and leave you hopeless. This is why he’s a good fit at firsthand Health, as the organization hires team leads who have struggled with severe mental health issues or drug abuse.
Strader started working for firsthand a couple of years ago as a team lead, and now he’s the Director of Community Operations. The organization has offices in Garfield Heights and Brooklyn, as well as locations in Akron, Canton and Youngstown.
“We truly believe that having gone through some of those issues ourselves, we’re able to help somebody on their journey with their self-perceived needs,” Strader said. “We provide peer support services. The program aims to help folks connect with community providers, such as behavioral health specialists they might need for their health conditions, transport them to food banks, and support utility assistance applications. If someone qualifies, we help them to sign up for Social Security benefits.
“An example was a gentleman who was moving from place to place and didn’t have a permanent address,” Strader added. “I eventually was able to track him down. He had severe mental illness and couldn’t get social security benefits because of numerous addresses. We finally were able to help get his benefits started, get him permanent housing and under a doctor’s supervision.”
Facilitators are thoroughly screened by firsthand Health before they are chosen to be peer leaders. The state of Ohio administers the certification, so specific standards must be met. Participants must have two years in recovery on their journey. Knowing that everybody has different pathways, every effort is made to support that pathway and what works best for them. Strader said everyone who works at firsthand is on the other side of their journey and in a position to give back to others.
On May 3, firsthand held an open house to kick off Mental Health Awareness Month. The event honored more than 500 individuals who went through the program locally and 2,200 across Ohio. The firsthand Health team was joined by current and prospective community partners who make delivering this care possible, including Ohio Guidestone, Neighborhood Family Practice, B. Riley House and United Healthcare. Many offer furniture and clothing and help with housing.
According to firsthand, mental health is essential in this community, and the numbers don’t lie.
Approximately 33 percent of Ohioans have reported symptoms of anxiety or a depressive disorder, and 478,000 Ohioans live with some form of severe mental illness.
The Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County also addresses those societal issues. The Board contracts with provider agencies to deliver services that assist clients on the road to recovery. The agency now collaborates with dozens of providers.
Dr. Leslie Koblentz, chief clinical officer of the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County, said the mental health issue in Greater Cleveland is significant. An even bigger concern is that most people don’t understand how broad it is. The effects are emotional, social, or psychological.
“Cuyahoga County is such an urban county,” Koblentz said. “We’ve had a huge number of overdose deaths. We have a high number of people who are incarcerated in our county; we have a high suicide rate. And I’m sure more since the pandemic – it was a terrible disaster for mental health.
“It’s important to remember that we need to get away from the stigma of mental health,” she added. “Sometimes, people call it brain health because it’s no different than if you have a stomach problem or heart problem. When those issues arise, you find a doctor specializing in that area. So, if you have a brain problem, you go to a psychologist. Again, we need to get away from this stigma of mental health and substance use disorder.”
A new ADAMHS website feature helps visitors quickly locate providers for mental health and addiction services. To access the feature, go to www.adamhscc.org/resources/finding-help and click on the “finding help” button at the top of the page. First Hand Health doesn’t offer services directly funded by the ADAMHS Board.
Strader echoes Dr. Koblentz’s sentiments regarding stigmatization of the issue, which keeps many people away from support and recovery resources.
“I would say that a lot of individuals that we work with – I was there at one point in my life, having lost trust in the system due to stigmatizing,” Strader said. “Not having the means to get to appointments and get the support they need. We find many individuals we serve who want support on their journey. But they might not have had access to care in the past, so being able to knock some of those barriers down and support them on their journey. We’re working each day with individuals that need that extra layer of support.”
For more information on firsthand Health, visit their website.
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