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What a difference a decade can make in someone’s life.

In 1996 Rosemary Kashmark took some friendly advice to-heart and sought help through county social services to deal with her bouts of depression.

The Chisago City woman was assisted by a county service provider (CSP) and gradually Kashmark regained her self-confidence. She earned her equivalency diploma. She bravely and in plain terms spoke out about mental illness and educated local policymakers about important services already available and what more is needed.

She didn’t just talk the talk, but also walked the walk...volunteering in many capacities such as reaching out to people visiting the county fair booth representing social services or helping with holiday meals for other mental health clients.

She has been to the state legislature and organized a local mental health advisory council, chairing the meetings for almost three years.

Kashmark was honored this fall with a regional award for mental health volunteerism.

The award is an engraved clock that has claimed a place atop her desk in the mental health drop-in center in Chisago City.

Kashmark was hired to be the first coordinator for the first county drop-in center in Center City. She began at six hours a week. The opening of a center was a big deal, with a chief staff member from Senator Paul Wellstone’s office coming for the opening.

Kashmark’s personality and enthusiasm were instrumental in making the place a haven for people who, as she puts it, are struggling.

When the county got notice the Center City building would be renovated for a different use, the drop-in center was relocated to a building on the edge of Highway 8, off the frontage road serving the Chisago Inn and Sportsmen’s Club.

The second center opened in February 2005 and operates 20 hours a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“I have found what I was always meant to do,” Kashmark said the other day. “I am the kind of person who finds a reward in doing for others. Every end of the day I can go home satisfied.”

Kashmark understands that someone with a mental illness musters every ounce of energy they have just to come to the center, but she also knows what can come of that step.

Kashmark said she doesn’t expect drop in visitors to “do” anything. Sometimes there’s activities or structured events but mostly it’s a place where you can grab a cup of coffee and visit for a while or have an appointment with a clinician. (There is a separate private entry to these offices.)

** Sara, at 257-8951 is responsible for scheduling these appointments.

There’s an adult psychiatrist, pediatric psychiatrist, a clinical nurse specialist, and a PhD therapist seeing clients through the drop-in center offices.

Connie Bennett, of the Chisago County Adult Mental Health Services program, said the idea behind locating these services at the center was to reduce the distance that clients had been traveling to access services.

She noted the county’s been seeing an improvement in its transition services for teens needing to move into adult programs. The existence of the drop-in facility-- having the clinicians “readily available” is at the heart of these improvements.

Bennett reported there are 48 clients in the Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services or “ARMHS” program.

The drop-in center also is headquarters for employment services staff who work with clients on job-related issues.

Much of the funding for these services comes in the form of an annual grant. Last week the Chisago County Board approved applying for 2006-2007 funding from this state and federal pool. The amount is about $339,000.

According to Kashmark about the only condition for casual visits to the drop-in center is that visitors are adult age. You do not need to have a county case manager involved or participate in any program to come by and see what it’s all about.

** For a calendar of upcoming activities contact Nancy at 213-0269.

Having received the regional award is opportune to get the word out about the drop-in center, said Kashmark.

She stressed, “Especially this time of year, I know there’s people who have a hard time around the holidays. They are missing people who aren’t around anymore, there are so many expectations putting pressures on, and there’s so much to get done,” she explained.

Chisago County had additional winners in the MSSA Region VII Conference Awards program.

Kurt and Betty Howson, of rural North Branch, won the Child Foster Care Provider of the Year Award. The Howsons have a designated shelter home for emergency after-hours placement and interim care for sibling groups and teens.

Wendy, Donald Steinbruckner, North Branch, were winners of the region’s Special Needs Foster Care award. They are dually-licensed to provide foster care to adults and youth. They sought the adult licensure when a young man was aging out of child foster care and the Steinbruckners opted to continue to keep their commitment to him.

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