After nearly two years of pandemic life, the isolation and high stress levels have taken a toll on our collective emotional health. For those struggling with these new challenges, it may be time to seek professional assistance. Green County residents have access to emotional health resources for all ages, addressing a variety of life’s challenges. 

One of those resources is Jacob’s SWAG Foundation, founded by Teri and Kurt Ellefson in 2013. The foundation was established to raise awareness about mental health issues and suicide in an effort to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health.

Teri Ellefson, Monroe, knows the subject all too well. Her son, Jacob, died by suicide in 2012 at age 14. She said the foundation arose out of a need to facilitate those difficult conversations surrounding mental health. 

“When Jake passed away, it kind of just came out. Parents had to have those hard talks,” she said. “We just wanted to let people know that there’s support out here — they had our backs and we wanted to make sure we could support them.”

Almost a decade since its creation, the foundation interacts with the community in countless ways. The Ellefsons often visit schools and organizations to tell their story. Through the foundation, they also distribute scholarships, give buddy benches and pencil cases to elementary schools, and host a support group in Green County — called Survivors of Suicide — which they hope to restart after the pandemic has settled. 

“Even if it’s just listening to another family that may be struggling with their kids are struggling, or they’re struggling, we’re pointing them in the right direction,” said Ellefson. 

The foundation’s most recent initiative brings emotional health support into the digital age. In 2020, Jacob’s SWAG Foundation, in partnership with Synqronus Communications in Monroe, launched a phone app called “Got Your Back.” Ellefson had the idea to reverse psychology, taking a tool capable of causing anxiety and turning it into a tool for mental health support. The app is free to download.

“I wanted it to be super user-friendly because I wanted people from the age of 8 to 100 to be able to use it,” said Ellefson. “When you’re in crisis, you don’t want to be more frustrated by using something that is supposed to be helping you.”

The app has received 28,000 impressions in the past six months alone and has been used across the country, from therapy groups in New York to mental health facilities in Texas. 

Lucy Heinberg, 20, was first connected with Jacob’s SWAG as a high school student, when she was struggling with her mental health. Ellefson gave her resources and the two stayed in contact. When the “Got Your Back” app was created, Heinberg was one of its first app testers. 

“I think it’s just a really great place to have everything that someone would need,” said Heinberg. “It has information for hotlines and 9-1-1. It also has a “My Squad” feature where you can put in people that you trust so that if you’re having problems or need someone to know, you can click that and send them a message.”

The app also has breathing exercises and a mood regulator to help track emotional health on a daily basis.

Heinberg is now a student at UW-Green Bay, studying psychology with an emphasis in mental health. She said the tools she’s learned, including having the “Got Your Back” app in her back pocket, have been key during her transition to college life.

“I owe a lot to Jacob’s SWAG Foundation — don’t know if I would still be here if it wasn’t for them,” she said. “You know, they helped me get the resources that I needed and I owe a lot to them.” 

The app embodies many of the things that Jacob Ellefson stood for — the “My Squad” feature is named for what he called his friends and the app’s name, “Got Your Back,” is what he used to tell those friends.

“[Jacob] always wanted to be the support and that person to go to,” said Ellefson. “We know he’s still helping people with the app, he’s giving people the courage to ask for help.”

While many are dealing with loss and grief — of loved ones, routines, milestones — caused by the pandemic, Ellefson encourages everyone to not forget about kids who were pulled from classes, maintaining connections through a screen. She hopes tools like the “Got Your Back” app can help kids feel less alone.

“I honestly feel if something like this would’ve been available for Jake, on his iPod, you know, I feel like maybe his direction would’ve changed,” she said. “So it’s just our way to give back and hopefully change the direction for maybe one person.”

Challenging the Stigma

To many, the idea of speaking with a counselor can be intimidating. Suzanne Koch works to combat that stigma and make therapy a less stressful experience. Koch, a therapist and co-owner of Mainstreet Counseling in Monroe, is amazed at the collaboration opportunities available in Monroe because of the town’s smaller size. 

“That’s a huge piece of what makes everyone so successful, the community wants to succeed,” she said. “There are support and services for everybody.”

Mainstreet Counseling, located on the square in downtown Monroe, provides therapy for everyone. The clinicians treat a variety of complex mental health issues and their possible causes including depression, anxiety, autism, women’s issues, aging and dementia, LGBTQ+, anger management,  domestic violence, abuse and neglect, ADHD and drug and alcohol abuse.

Koch’s passion includes working with women and the LGBTQ+ community. She also often receives referrals for elders and family members dealing with dementia. Koch’s goal is to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all clients. 

“Our hope was to have it seem like a living room,” said Koch. “We did not want a clinical setting whatsoever and we tell that to people. We want it to be a relaxed, informal setting.”

Through both telehealth and in-person appointments, Koch has noticed new emotional health challenges caused by the pandemic, including what she describes as a “feeling of helplessness.” She encourages everyone to find joy in small moments and express kindness and compassion to others.

“When we try and lift someone else up, we get the big prize, we get the payoff,” Koch said. “It helps us more than that other person will ever know.”

Koch continues to make therapy more accessible to the community by meeting individuals where they are — sometimes literally, by taking therapy outside of the office.

“I’m a firm believer that some of the best therapy, especially with young people, is at the park, taking a walk, drinking a lemonade,” she said. “Even blowing bubbles standing outside. And we’ve done that.” 

Whether you’ve never tried therapy or it’s just been a while, Koch encourages everyone to seek help when they need it. Just like physical health, emotional well-being is crucial to becoming the best version of ourselves. 

“We all know that mind, body, soul are connected,” said Koch. “If we’re not taking care of ourselves emotionally, the rest kind of falls apart, too. And we’re important.”

Resources For All Ages

Mental and emotional health is crucial for people of all ages. Morgan Kennison, Aging Programs Coordinator for the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Green County has seen the importance of resource availability firsthand. 

Kennison primarily works with the Center’s transportation and nutrition programs, as well as the adult day center. Some days, she works with the adult day center and the Center’s volunteers. She also chips in with driving the wheelchair bus to take clients home. 

The ADRC provides a wide range of services, including training opportunities, health and wellness courses and support groups. According to Kennison, the intent of the Center is to give individuals resources to best take care of themselves. 

All ADRC resources and information are free to Green County residents, though some services — such as the home-delivered meals, transportation services and adult day center — do have a small cost or suggested donation associated with them. The center uses local and federal funding to subsidize the rate so customers do not have to pay the full cost of the service. If cost is a concern, the center will work with clients to find additional funding sources so they are still able to receive the needed service.

The center also provides assistance in applying for disability benefits and answering questions about topics like Medicare and Social Security. If the Center isn’t able to help, they will connect with other resources.

“We’re kind of a center to find out about what’s out there,” said Kennison. “Based on the questions they ask and the information they’re looking for, we guide them in the right direction.”

The center added to its services during the pandemic, providing a friendly caller line to fight isolation and check in with clients. 

“We wanted to make sure, either through those phone calls or making sure their meals were still able to get to them, that we were doing everything we could to keep them connected with resources,” said Kennison. “And that they knew people were thinking about them.”

The ADRC also continues to deliver meals and host a support group for caregivers (held in the day on the second Thursday of each month, at night on the fourth Thursday of the month) and a grief support group (held the third Tuesday of each month). Clients can also take advantage of wellness classes and shuttle trips, among other resources.

“I think it just keeps them healthy, keeps them connected, lets them know that they’re not alone,” she said.

The ADRC also hosts a number of volunteer opportunities, providing a space to benefit the emotional health of both the clients and the volunteers, all while giving back to the community. More information about the ADRC can be found on their website and monthly newsletters.

“We are more than happy to help whenever people need information but it’s always good to learn what’s out there,” said Kennison. “We want people to know us before they need us.”