Miners Day is Monday, and the Park City community is getting ready to put on a show to honor the town’s heritage.
In addition to paying tribute to miners, the annual parade that runs down Main Street will also spotlight an array of local individuals, neighborhoods, politicians and nonprofit organizations. (See article on page A-1).
The Park Record caught up with the staff and members of two organizations, CONNECT Summit County and Summit County Clubhouse, who plan to walk in this year’s parade.
While the parade showcases Park City’s many diverse offerings, these two groups have one similar, standout mission: providing welcoming, accessible and affordable mental health support to all Summit County residents.
CONNECT Summit County
CONNECT Summit County, a non-profit dedicated to being “the people’s voice for mental health,” was founded in 2016 after two Park City teens passed away from drug overdoses.
“The community was devastated,” Julya Sembrat, CONNECT’s Executive Director, said. “[People] felt like there needed to be a vehicle for families, other students and other community members to rally together and focus on mental health.”
Sembrat continued that since Park City is such a small town, many people know each other and care about each other. CONNECT’s founders — Ed and Lynn Rutan — wanted to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in our interconnected community as well as educate people about different mental health issues and treatments.
“By sharing the stories and by publicizing these individuals, some of whom are well known athletes or just well known community members, that really helps to connect people, thus the name CONNECT,” Sembrat said.
Another aspect of CONNECT’s mission is helping community members access treatment opportunities specific to their own individual needs.
CONNECT “lowers the barriers for receiving any kind of treatment,” Sembrat said. The organization offers opportunities for people “to get the ball rolling, have a place where they can start their inquiry and have someone to talk to.”
CONNECT’s biggest program, its peer navigation service, provides a phone number people of all ages and backgrounds can call with any mental health concerns, whether they’re having a crisis or looking for mental health support groups in the community. Though the number isn’t a 24/7 hotline, CONNECT staff will answer calls during business hours and return all calls placed outside those hours.
“Maybe it’s not a doctor, maybe you want to talk to a licensed social worker [or] a peer support specialist,” Sembrat said. “We have a wide range of individuals who can help, and once we receive your call, we’ll follow through with you and make sure you’re getting the treatment you need.”
Sembrat continued, “we’re here to help everybody,” including the Latino community. In addition to having a Spanish speaking program director, CONNECT works with organizations like Latino Behavioral Health and Holy Cross Ministries to break the language barrier and reduce stigma.
CONNECT also provides financial assistance to those with difficulties paying for treatment by offering up to $85 dollars per hour for a session with a provider.
“Everybody has been affected by the pandemic and also all these crazy changes we’re seeing in the world right now–our politics, our climate, our economy,” Sembrat said.
With many therapists booked several months out, CONNECT strives to cut down the time it takes for people to make their first “connection.”
“We have a variety of support groups we can refer you to, so if you do have to wait for a provider, you can get some kind of connection sooner or later,” Sembrat said. “We’re really here to get the job done for you.”
Summit County Clubhouse
One example of a local support group is Summit County Clubhouse, whose members and staff are also walking in the Miners Day parade. Clubhouse is part of an international non-profit that strives to assist with the social inclusion and integration of those with mental illnesses into society.
Lindsay Hauptman, a bilingual social practitioner at Clubhouse, said the organization “encourages the idea that people with a mental illness can do things people without a mental illness can.”
“It’s about “giving them that confidence that not only diminishes what they’re told they can’t do because they have a mental illness but also makes them feel surrounded and confident because the other people in the clubhouse are also mentally ill and doing these things,” she said.
Clubhouse’s founding member, Matthew Rutan, agreed with Hauptman.
“It’s productive in a way that’s not therapy but still helps the mentally ill,” he said. “We get to rise above [stigmas] and just feel like a normal person and most importantly, reintegrate into society,” he said.
Clubhouse is located in a donated home converted into an office space at 6304 Highland Drive. Aside from being age 18 or older and having a diagnosed mental illness, there are no other requirements to join. Clubhouse programs are free for participants who can come and go whenever they wish.
“Clubhouse has a lot of opportunities for every kind of person’s needs,” Hauptman said. “Whether it’s just making it to the clubhouse that day and that’s all you can do, and that’s enough, or if you want to come do an activity like go to Nuzzles and Co. to play with dogs, or come play games in the afternoon just to feel less lonely. We don’t have to talk about your mental illness, or we do if you want, but there’s really an accepting community here who will appreciate you and value you no matter what.”
Clubhouse wants to get people out of their shells, Rutan added.
“We try to get out into society because that’s healthy for mental health,” he said.
Aside from activities, Clubhouse members can also participate in the “work order day,” in which members are “in the clubhouse, doing the work of the clubhouse.” Members cook their own lunches and complete tasks that Rutan described as allowing you to be “a CEO or CFO of your own company.”
“Here you’re respected and welcome for your skills and we try to optimize on that,” Rutan said. “We can see each [member’s] story come out and rise, and they’re good stories.”
For both Clubhouse and CONNECT, the main message is that it’s important to get out and talk to people who can help, no matter how difficult that can be.
“The scariest thing about having mental illness is that feeling of loneliness which then leads to a self fulfilling prophecy of isolation,” Hauptman said. “Get out of the basement. As hard as it is. Go out and do something.”
At the Miners Day parade, getting out is exactly what CONNECT and Clubhouse will be doing.
“If you can just be strong enough to make that first connection, it lightens your load,” Sembrat said. “Those tiny steps really make a difference. Just actually speaking to another human being who can tell you you’re valued, and you’re worthwhile, and you should do this for yourself because you matter is sometimes all somebody needs to hear.”
“We spread the message of inclusion,” Rutan said. “Getting out during the parade and sharing this message with the community is enormous amounts of fun.”