NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties

The areas NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties serve have a small but widely diverse population – from suburban residents and factory workers to college students and Amish farmers. However, the problem of chronic mental illness is the same there as everywhere else in Ohio, affecting about 1 in 5 people across socioeconomic, religious and racial levels. Helen Walkerly, the dynamic executive director of the NAMI affiliate, has worked tirelessly for years to bring help and support to people in need in the two-county area that has a population of 160,000 – smaller than the city of Akron. “We have a variety of socioeconomic levels, particularly in Wayne County where we are blessed to have some folks who are financially secure,” Helen said. “We have the whole spectrum here.” The area has the largest population of Amish residents in the U.S., but it also boasts two higher education centers – the College of Wooster and a branch of Ohio University. A non-profit mental health advocacy organization was formed in the area in 2000 and eight years later was incorporated into the current NAMI affiliate. NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties Due to its solid fundraising efforts and support from local mental health agencies, it is one of the few affiliates in Ohio to own its own building, located at 2525 Back Orville Road in Wooster.

Don’t let the small population size of the two counties fool you. NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties is one of the most active affiliates in the state of Ohio. Much of the affiliate’s success is due to Helen’s energetic and creative leadership, bridging the gap between diverse communities in the area. The challenge of serving the large Amish community, the so-called “plain folks” who purposely live detached from most aspects of modern life, has been met through many efforts, including a NAMI van that travels into Holmes County almost daily to provide transportation for Amish clients. The outreach to the Amish is sensitive since there are a variety of Amish sects, Helen said. NAMI has provided family classes in Amish homes for years and has a member of the Amish community on the organization’s board of directors. “The Amish are wonderful, wonderful people,” Helen said. ‘Like in the general population, there is a stigma attached to seeking help for mental health issues. But that has changed in the Amish community because Jen Grim, who is Director of Advancement for the affiliate, said people in the community know who NAMI is and contribute generously through fundraising efforts, including a walk and 5K race. NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties recently had a pleasant chore. Officials had to buy a case to accommodate local, regional and state awards the affiliate has garnered. The affiliate can be reached online at namiwayneholmes.org or by phone at 330 264-1590. 

We’ve been able to show them how helpful it is, and provided them with information about mental illness. It has helped change some of their attitudes.” The affiliate also operates the very busy MOCA House, short for Motivating Optimistic Caring Accepting, a facility open Monday through Friday to anyone in the two counties with mental health concerns. A peer specialist staff member is always on duty and the center offers peer to peer education, expressive art activities health and wellness programs, games and social time, a recovery work group, and Family-to-Family education class. The affiliate’s therapeutic art programs have been so successful that many works of art are sold annually at auction. Another program serving the overall community is the Local Outreach to Survivors of Suicide Team, or LOSS Team. The affiliate does suicide education and prevention programs, but also participates in the emotional task of going to the scene when someone takes their life to provide support to the family and loved ones. NAMI is notified by the county coroner so a trained NAMI volunteer can support the family in person or by telephone. “We often go to the scene and just be with the family. It’s an investigation by law enforcement and there’s yellow tape and generally the family is kept out of that,” Helen said. “We go there to help them.” Even though she’s the affiliate director, Helen still actively participates in the LOSS Team. It’s known as “post-vention” support since it occurs after a life is lost. Last but far from least, NAMI Wayne & Holmes Counties is an active participant in Crisis Intervention Training which is aimed at law enforcement to help officers be better able to handle emergency situations when someone with mental illness is involved. In 2019, the affiliate was named as the Ohio Affiliate of the Year in the annual statewide CIT awards.