Addressing Mental Health as a Community: The Power of Listening

Mental health impacts families, workplaces, schools and communities, and responding to a crisis is a shared responsibility.

“Anybody can have a mental health issue,” said Patricia McMullin, Residents & Facility Manager at Community Rescue Mission.

At the Crawford County Alliance meeting, professionals representing mental health treatment, housing services, law enforcement and community collaboration discussed the challenges of responding to mental health crises and the importance of working together to help individuals achieve stability.

Mental health challenges rarely exist in isolation. Housing instability, unemployment, substance use, family conflict and involvement with the justice system can all contribute to a crisis.

“For us, it's all interconnected,” said Saige Small, Mental Health Treatment Court Coordinator at The Guidance Center.

Many individuals entering Mental Health Treatment Court come directly from jail without housing, transportation, insurance or a reliable support system. Before treatment can begin, Small's team must address these basic needs.

McMullin sees similar challenges at Community Rescue Mission, a transitional housing program serving families experiencing homelessness. Residents often arrive carrying significant trauma while struggling to meet their families' most immediate needs. Mental health challenges can contribute to homelessness, just as homelessness can worsen mental health.

Even when someone is ready for treatment, lack of insurance, transportation, childcare or flexibility to miss work can make accessing care difficult. To address these barriers, Community Rescue Mission brings therapy services directly to residents.

Small emphasized that individuals facing these circumstances cannot always be expected to immediately meet every requirement placed before them.

“They're still in survival mode.”

Addressing immediate needs creates a foundation for stability, but overcoming trauma and rebuilding relationships takes time.

Tara Morrell, Community Success Manager at Restore Hope and former DCFS caseworker, recalled working with a family whose child welfare case was not progressing toward reunification. After beginning therapy, their relationships and communication improved, and the family ultimately achieved reunification.

The experience influenced Morrell's decision to pursue counseling and highlighted the tension between the urgency of intervention systems and the time needed for deeper healing.

“Sometimes we can be so focused on that change immediately that we risk overlooking the time and support people need to make that lasting change.”

Child welfare and criminal justice systems must respond quickly to establish safety and meet requirements, but addressing the underlying trauma often requires a longer process.

“Families need both. They need that immediate intervention to establish safety and stability, but also the opportunity to engage in that longer term, therapeutic work.”

Small explained that healing is not always linear. Addressing deeper trauma in therapy can temporarily lead to behavioral setbacks, which carry serious consequences in a court-ordered program, including sanctions or a return to jail.

Mental Health Treatment Court balances accountability with therapeutic support through service adjustments that help participants learn from setbacks and continue progressing.

“It's literally therapy and law working together.”

That approach reflects a broader shift in how law enforcement responds to mental health crises.

“We have to remember," said Chief Jonathan Wear of the Van Buren Police Department, "the criminal justice system is not meant to be punitive as much as it is restorative.”

Officers regularly encounter situations involving mental health challenges, substance use, family conflict and criminal behavior. Wear explained that when he began his career 22 years ago, their primary options were jail or hospitalization.

Today, resources such as crisis stabilization services and Mental Health Treatment Court allow officers to focus on connecting individuals with appropriate support rather than attempting to resolve complex mental health challenges themselves.

Wear highlighted Crawford County's Mental Health Treatment Court as an example of collaboration between judges, law enforcement, treatment providers and community partners. Small reported a 10.5% recidivism rate for the program, compared with the county's overall rate of 40%.

Restoration does not mean removing accountability. It means recognizing that lasting change often requires addressing the circumstances contributing to someone's behavior rather than responding only to the behavior itself.

McMullin understands the impact of that approach personally. Having experienced homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use, incarceration and DCFS involvement, she credited the grace she received through drug court as an important part of her own recovery.

But even with those services in place, barriers remain. A participant may qualify for treatment but lack insurance. A shelter may have an available bed, but not until the following week. Someone leaving jail may need transportation, medication and immediate housing before attending their first appointment.

Resolving those challenges requires ongoing communication between organizations.

For Morrell, this is where collaborative initiatives like 100 Families can make a significant difference.

“It's simply the difference between, just giving someone a referral versus helping ensure they successfully connect with that support.”

Someone already overwhelmed by housing instability, financial stress or involvement with the justice system may find that accessing mental health treatment feels like one more impossible task.

A coordinated community network can reduce that burden by helping people navigate resources, build relationships and stay connected to services beyond the immediate crisis.

“When you can make a connection, you can make a difference, and you can build that trust and rapport.”

Through the 100 Families Initiative, community partners work together to identify needs, share responsibility and coordinate services using HopeHub, Restore Hope's collaborative case management platform.

Wear encouraged organizations to continue building those relationships and communicating with law enforcement about available resources.

“Keep having the conversation.”

While resources and collaboration are critical, the panelists agreed that stigma remains a significant barrier to seeking help.

Small emphasized that experiencing a mental health crisis does not automatically make someone dangerous or incapable of living a successful, productive life.

Psychotic symptoms, such as hearing voices or seeing things others do not, can be misunderstood by people who lack mental health training. While some situations require immediate intervention, others can be managed successfully through treatment.

“There's a big difference between treated and untreated as well.”

She also challenged the language people use when discussing mental health. Labeling someone by a diagnosis or casually describing a person as crazy can reinforce negative assumptions and discourage people from seeking help.

“People are not their diagnosis.”

Morrell emphasized that reducing stigma also creates opportunities for earlier intervention. Rather than waiting until someone reaches a breaking point, communities can become better at recognizing concerns, asking questions and connecting people with support.

Wear agreed that mental health treatment should be approached with the same seriousness as treatment for physical health conditions.

“I think we have to normalize getting help and treatment with mental health situations.”

Earlier in his career, officers responding to traumatic incidents, including homicides or the deaths of children, were often expected to return immediately to their duties without processing what they had experienced.

Today, departments are increasingly recognizing the importance of supporting officers' mental health.

Small reinforced that progress by sharing her experience participating in the Van Buren Police Department's Citizens Academy. She was impressed by the department's openness toward therapy, trauma treatment and mental health support for officers.

The panelists also discussed the importance of workplaces making mental health care more accessible. Morrell shared Restore Hope's practice of allowing employees a weekly self-care hour, which can be used for counseling or other mental health needs.

These changes reflect a growing recognition that mental health should not be treated as something people must struggle with privately.

“We need to continue to strive to de-stigmatize mental health,” Wear said.

Despite the complexity of mental health treatment and the many systems involved in responding to a crisis, everyone has something to offer.

Professional treatment remains essential, but compassion and connection are not limited to professionals.

Everyone can listen.

Small emphasized the importance of trust in the healing process. Before individuals can engage in meaningful treatment, they need to feel safe enough to share their experiences and believe that the people helping them genuinely care.

That trust does not develop overnight. It grows through consistent relationships, patience and a willingness to meet people where they are.

The panelists discussed how something as simple as taking a walk with someone, sitting beside them during a difficult moment or allowing them to talk without immediately offering a solution can create an opportunity for connection.

For individuals facing trauma, instability or mental health challenges, knowing that someone is willing to listen without judgment can be an important first step toward accepting help.

Mental Health Treatment Court and the 100 Families Initiative demonstrate what is possible when organizations bring their resources and expertise together. But the same spirit of collaboration can begin on a much smaller scale, through the everyday relationships that make up a community.