NAMI here to say, 'Yeah, I get you'

National Alliance on Mental Illness Hancock County is an affiliate of the national NAMI organization. The local organization was founded in 1996 by a group of Findlay-Hancock County residents. Brandon Nusbaum, an intern at NAMI Hancock County who is completing his masters in social work at the University of Toledo, noted that NAMI's approach emphasizes meeting with peers who have had similar experiences. He said a peer differs from a therapist in that they are using their own lived experience with mental health conditions to relate to others in the same situation. This approach often helps people feel more comfortable. He said some people may prefer going to a therapist while others prefer talking with peers. Nusbaum, who said NAMI has helped him feel supported in his own recovery, said he has found that giving people a choice of what works for them "really helps them to recover." Eric McKee, executive director of NAMI Hancock County, said sometimes a person might come to a NAMI group after a therapist has recommended they attend a peer-led group. McKee noted that people generally find it more helpful if they come in earlier in their mental health journey rather than later. McKee, who has spoken openly about his own mental health struggles, said when he can tell his own story, he is generally "incredibly accepted." However, if he can't really have a conversation about it and educate people, there may be "a lot of pushback" as people respond with their own misconceptions about what having a mental health condition means. He noted that the peers at NAMI don't actually provide clinical care. "We're really here to say, 'Yeah, I get you,'" McKee said. And, he said, peers may have more flexible scheduling than a health care provider might. Services through NAMI are free and do not require insurance. McKee said finances can sometimes be a barrier. NAMI also provides assistance to family members if, say, a loved one is getting discharged from the hospital. "We spend a lot of time listening," McKee said. He said the agency is seeing more people lately who are having mental health struggles for the first time, an increase he suspects is because of the pandemic. Information and resources are available at the organization's website, https://www.namihancockcounty.org/ For more information, call 567-301-2101.