But a safe environment, like the Lighthouse, can hopefully break the cycle and get people back on their feet, he said.
If they don’t have anywhere to turn, those facing addiction “stay in those bad places,” he said. “So these people are not only facing their own challenges and their own addictions, but they're facing the stigma of society and that they're bad people.” “There's still a huge stigma placed on people with mental health disorders, and addiction to drugs in particular,” he said. He’s hoping the Lighthouse will offer another chance to others who are struggling. Mihalovic himself said he got involved in this work because he has a daughter who is in her long-term recovery - “because nobody ever gave up on her, and she had a chance.” “They can see in person that recovery is possible.” “Somebody who has lived experience is like that beacon of hope for the person who is moving toward recovery,” Kuhlmann said. Of course, bringing on staff with some sort of lived experience is the key to the peer-run respite model, Lighthouse leaders said. Mihalovic anticipated that zoning might be a challenge, because the respite will likely be located in a residential neighborhood - but hopes that educating neighbors about the Lighthouse’s mission can bring them onboard.Īs for staff, Kuhlmann said it’ll be important to find the right peer supporters who can guide guests through the challenges of starting recovery, which is “probably one of the hardest things a person will ever have to do in their lives.” They’re looking for a three- to five-bedroom home that meets their vision of a “peaceful and tranquil” environment, Kuhlmann said. The work of getting the respite off the ground now comes down to two key pieces: Finding the perfect location and hiring the right staff, said Karen Kuhlmann, the new executive director of the Lighthouse. Community members banded around the goal to create a home and offer “short-term support to people who are willing to volunteer to be helped.”įor years, the team has been communicating with the other peer-run respites across the state, learning from their examples to develop the plans for the Lighthouse, Mihalovic said. The Lighthouse team grew out of an earlier La Crosse task force focused on heroin treatment and intervention, Mihalovic said.
“I can't say it was as exciting as the day I was married, or the day I had two children,” Mihalovic said. These locations bring on staff who have their own experiences with mental health or addiction, and offer a non-medical alternative to hospitalization or rehab.įor La Crosse, it’s been a project years in the making - and when Mihalovic heard that the Lighthouse would get its funding, he couldn’t wait to share the news. When the Lighthouse opens later this year - Mihalovic said late September or early October is the goal - it’ll join a growing list of respites in Wisconsin using the peer-run model. The group recently received Department of Health Services funding to open a peer-run respite, where guests struggling with mental health or substance use challenges can check themselves in for a free, short-term stay. The La Crosse Lighthouse is looking to fill that gap. No more ‘us and them’: Iris Place offers mental health healing, minus the hierarchy.‘We’re here to walk next to them’: At the Parachute House in Milwaukee, connection is key for recovery.