EAST GRAND FORKS – To mark May as Mental Health Awareness Month, organizations across the Greater Grand Forks area are doing their part to provide mental health support and outreach to residents.
Earlier this month, advocates at mental health and substance abuse care center Alluma held an interactive open house event. “Alluma Night,” as described on its website, was a “free, family-friendly space to connect and experience different ways to heal, cope and care for your mental health.” Hosted at Northland Community and Technical College, Alluma Night featured booths from local organizations, demonstrations from mental health experts and a variety of interactive crafts and activities to help attendees connect to themselves and their communities.
“It’s about trying to help the individual find the method, coping mechanism or modality that is most helpful for them,” said Michelle Van Camp, Alluma’s marketing and information governance officer. “If we can offer it in-house, that’s great. If we can’t, then it’s helping people find that connection in the community. Nobody can do it by themselves.”
Participants were greeted with a tote bag and encouraged to walk around and collect swag items from informational booths, which included pop-ups from Polk County Social Services, Titan Health and Wellness, the Trevor Project, H.O.P.E Coalition and more than a dozen others.
The event also offered interactive crafts and games. In one area, guests worked together on a giant coloring page. At a nearby table, they were invited to learn about crystal properties and create healing necklaces with them. A variety of board games, snacks, art projects and fidget stations were provided as well.
There were also scheduled events, including a yoga session, meditational sound baths and musical experiences. Jon Weaver, who has been a mental health and substance use counselor for more than 25 years, gave a presentation on Indigenous music. Weaver’s demonstration included an Ojibwe healing song and traditional Lakota prayer music, which he said helps him feel more connected to his family, spirituality and community.
“Music itself transcends all time and space,” he said. “It’s our connection to our ancestors and our look into the future generations.”
Alluma, founded in 1962, is a nonprofit healthcare organization based in Crookston, Minnesota. It provides in-person and virtual care, including psychiatry, housing support and substance use and crisis services, focusing on providing care in the northwestern Minnesota area. Anyone can receive services there, and events like Alluma Night are designed to expand their area of influence.
Alluma’s approach combines traditional and holistic care. It offers standard psychiatric and therapeutic services, but also hosts alternative practices to provide participants with a variety of options. Alluma Night aimed to educate attendees on all types of healing, allowing them to participate in a noncommittal environment and learn what works for them as an individual.
“What works for one person might not work for someone else. Here, people get to ‘dip their toes in the water’ a bit,” Van Camp said.
Community mental health coordinator Mandy Iverson agrees, saying that self-care varies from person to person.
“Mental wellness support can take many forms, and our community has many great resources,” she said. “Wellness can look like one-on-one therapy, and it can also look like walking outdoors, eating a nutritious diet and prioritizing healthy sleep.”
Iverson recognized May as Mental Health Awareness Month, commending the Greater Grand Forks area for its steps toward fostering a more supportive environment.
“We as a community have made significant progress toward creating a culture that supports mental well-being and have many opportunities to advance this progress even further,” Iverson said. “Talking about the importance of mental health and supporting each other is one tool we have to continue to promote mental wellbeing and the overall health of our community.”
Van Camp explained that raising awareness is half the battle. With stigma surrounding substance abuse and mental health, openly sharing their struggles is something that many people in the community find difficult. Events like Alluma Night aim to create a space for community members to access local resources and serve as a reminder that they are not alone.
“We all work together,” said Van Camp. “For people struggling with mental health and substances, that connection is so important. It just makes me so happy to have this many people supporting each other.”
Community Resources:
North Dakota Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787
North Dakota Rehab and Addiction Hotline: 866-210-1303
North Dakota Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 988 (Call or text)
Addison Foley is a reporting intern at the Grand Forks Herald. She attends the University of North Dakota and is triple-majoring in Journalism, Spanish, and Global Studies.
