Heartland Family Service holding open house on new Peer Center for mental health, looking for feedback
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Heartland Family Service opened its Nebraska Peer Center near North 60th Street and Northwest Radial Highway in July.
“Everybody needs support,” said Peer Center coordinator Beth Boell. “Isolation isn’t good for anybody, especially when you are setting goals for yourself for mental health or substance-use recovery.”
However, there are no sessions with professionals. Instead, it’s about peer counseling and getting people to support each other while having coffee, donuts, or playing games.
“All of us being equals, kind of leaning on each other, helping each other and learning from each other,” Boell said. “That’s the purpose. And that looks like discussion and support groups, it looks like just conversations over coffee, it looks like keeping each other company, and encouraging and supporting each other in our goals.”
The meetings happen four days a week. There are no fees thanks to a four-year, $3.878 million SAMHSA grant.
But Boell said since launching the Peer Center, it’s been slow getting people to participate.
“I would say that we have had anywhere from 20 to 30 people stop in at the Peer Center. And a portion of those people have started coming in on a regular basis, which is something that we want.”
That’s why they’re holding an open house Tuesday to give potential clients and community stakeholders a first-hand view of how the program works.
“Coming in and seeing the space is really going to paint the full picture for some people,” Boell said. “I can tell everybody what we’re about and what we do here, but really, coming here and seeing it is going to complete that picture.”
Not only do they want to spread the word that this program exists, they’re also hoping for feedback about new ideas and possible community partnerships.
The open house happens from 2-6 p.m. at the Benson campus near North 60th Street and Northwest Radial Highway.
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