LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Nick Lundstrom understands the stigma that comes along with mental illness.
“I’ve been through a lot when it comes to mental health,” Lundstrom said.
Now, he’s using his experience to help others as a peer support specialist at Indiana’s first-ever "mental health living room."
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of West Central Indiana cut the ribbon on the facility in September.
“People in a mental health crisis deserve a mental health response,” said Sheri Moore, executive director of NAMI West Central Indiana.
Moore said chapters in other states have opened dozens of living rooms to fill a critical gap in mental health care and cut down on the number of police calls for mental health crises and visits to hospital emergency rooms.
“We have a team of peers and a living room manager that can screen people to make sure they're safe and in the right place,” Moore said. “And then, our peers can deescalate, problem-solve, follow up, whatever that person may need to keep them out of an emergency room or calling the police.”
Visitors can also be referred to longer-term treatment.
The Living Room held a soft opening in May. So far, Moore said they have helped nearly 60 people. The program is funded through a combination of state and federal grants.
“I know people suffering with mental illness issues … that's some of the worst suffering I can imagine a person going through,” Lundstrom said. “And so my mission is to just help others and alleviate the suffering."
The NAMI Living Room in Lafayette is open and staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.