The Other Door is a community-based drop-in center located at Family & Children’s Center (FCC) in Viroqua. It is designed to provide positive social networking opportunities, particularly for people needing support in their recovery from substance abuse or mental illness. The Other Door is a place – a place to find help, a place to find hope, but most importantly, a place to find people. It provides a safe location for guests to escape from stress, isolation or boredom. This is often one of the first steps taken as they rebuild their lives in the community.
One client, dealing with addiction and mental health challenges from an early age, found The Other Door drop-in center after to moving Viroqua and said The Other Door became “an absolute rock in my recovery.”
The Other Door was given its name by local residents who wanted to provide an alternative place to socialize and recover. Opening in 2013, the drop-in center was a grassroots effort to make it easier to locate support groups, attend meetings and find non-judgmental fellowship in a supportive environment to work on their mental health and/or addiction recovery. By identifying a regular, consistent meeting place, individuals were able to plan for and count on opportunities to meet, share, socialize, and grow. The Other Door has grown into a premiere socialization spot for people in recovery. In addition to meeting space, the added attractions of a place to watch movies, play games, and enjoy a weekly evening meal has allowed participants to be enriched and to be a part of a community.
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The Other Door is located at Family and Children’s Center, 1321 N. Main St. in Viroqua, and provides groups and support for people with mental illness. It is open 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
One in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental health illness, according to the CDC. That includes conditions such as anxiety, loneliness, and depression. On Wednesdays at 6 p.m., FCC hosts a peer support group for those struggling with mental health challenges. In the group participants can share what they are experiencing and feeling and receive support from others in the group. A Certified Peer Support Specialist leads the discussions. A Peer Specialist is someone who has a lived experience with mental illness, and is in recovery and is now able to help others through their own experiences.
Families members of those living with a mental health diagnosis can also be impacted by the challenges for their loved ones. A Family Support Group on the first Tuesday of each month allows family members to talk about successes and struggles that they may be having and provide support to each other. This group is also facilitated by a Certified Peer Support Specialist.
Community members that wish to learn more about the impact of substance use and mental health in Vernon County is invited to join “First Month of the Quarter, Third Thursday of the Month” discussions. These meetings are focused on substance use and mental health in Vernon County with the goal of identifying strengths and barriers to recovery. The next meeting is scheduled for July 20.
But more than individual days or meetings, The Other Door and Family & Children’s Center is here for community members.
More details about FCC services are available on fcconline.org.
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