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Club Updates
President Elizabeth encouraged every member to bring a guest every month. Our highway cleanup is Saturday the 16th and we are encouraged to bring guests to help also.
Be Better Holland
Jill and Steve Miskelly are the parents of Ian who died by suicide when he was a student at the University of Michigan. They started the Be Better organization to try and close some of the gaps they found in our mental health system.
Ian was a swimmer growing up and at UM. Even though he struggled with mental health, he was always there to help people "Be Better". His uncle pointed this out in the eulogy at his funeral and it became the organization's name.
Some of the lessons that the Miskellys found out through their journey are
- Assistance needs to be customized to the person to be helpful
- It is challenging to find answers on your own.
- Mental health care is fragmented and there is no follow-through between providers.
- There can be major delays in trying to get help.
- Parents, family, friends, doctors, and schools all need to be involved.
A recent US Surgeon General's report on youth mental health has pointed out many of the same problems.
Jill and Steve have founded the "Ian Miskelly Be Better Health Clinic" to try and fill these gaps. They registered a non-profit in December 2021 and are working to raise money and make connections with local organizations.
In Chicago, there is a coffee shop called Sip of Hope where all of the employees are trained in mental health intervention and care. There is also space to have meetings and counseling. This is the eventual goal of Be Better Holland.
The major goal of Be Better is to provide follow-through and rapid answers to people seeking care. They are helping care seekers make connections and ensure that there is a continuity of care. They are currently seeking people to volunteer to be care coordinators.
In closing, we were encouraged to "Hold Someone Up".