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Our mission is to bring personal advocacy and companionship to our community in support of those living with a mental illness. No matter their struggles, people need to know they are worthy, and they are seen. Life can hold meaning and they are valued. We aim to be part of a team surrounding someone in mental anguish and help prevent their thoughts from reaching the point where suicide feels like the only way to stop the pain. Nobody should feel they have to face life alone!
Should a family suffer the tragedy of suicide, our Reach In Program will offer support and provide Caring Baskets to families so they too know they do not have to face the pain alone. Together we can work together to make tomorrows brighter for those living with mental illness.
Angela, Chantelle, and I came together knowing we wanted and needed to do more for people struggling with mental illness.
Our mission, to Reach In and show our fellow community members in need of understanding, empathy, and compassion that there are people who care. No matter their struggles, the people of Sioux Falls need to know they are worthy, and they are seen. Life can hold meaning and they are valued. We aim to be part of a team surrounding someone in mental anguish and help prevent their thoughts from reaching the point where suicide feels like the only way to stop the pain!
With the invaluable support of Avera Behavioral Health (ABH) our Caring Companions will be trained and paired to walk beside someone who is struggling with a form of a diagnosed mental illness and to form a caring companionship.
Because Angela, Chantelle and I have lived through the devastation of losing a loved one to suicide, we know how hard it is for those struggling to reach out and seek help. The Caring Companions will visit patients while they are at ABH and, in some cases, this role will then continue once a patient is discharged and at their most vulnerable.
On April 5, 2024, the first training for Caring Companions took place. With grateful thanks to the SFPD (Crisis Intervention Unit), Mary Weber, LMFT, LPC at the Lourdes Center and the caring staff at ABH for providing our companions the opportunity to learn from the best in the field of diseases which fall under the umbrella of mental health.
On October 28, 2024, the second Caring Companion training will take place! Further details to follow.
If you or anyone you know is trying to put back the pieces of a once familiar puzzle and they no longer fit, please know we are here to listen, to help direct you to resources and to walk with you on your journey. The same approach is offered for survivors of suicide. No two illnesses present the same way in people and the reasons why our loved ones choose to end their lives may never be fully understood. All we know is that the pain they were in and the burden they felt they were, became too much. Leigh, Angela and Chantelle are all suicide survivors which is how and why we came together and formed The Reach In Program.
If you or someone you know with a genuine and compassionate heart who would be willing to Reach In and join our program or would like further information, please have them fill out the attached form or email:
For questions regarding the program: [email protected]
