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Onamia Conversation Officer Dan Starr teaches youth tips on ice fishing

A Story of Perseverance

Spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety and elevate your mood. Our staff at Nexus-Mille Lacs Family Healing will often organize activities and events outdoors to provide positive experiences for our youth struggling with mental health issues. On a frigid cold day in March, our staff organized an exclusive event just for our youth— the opportunity to participate in their first-ever fishing derby!
Photo of holiday gifts under a Christmas tree

Sharing the Culture of Giving

Volunteering and giving provides Kari with a sense of purpose and it is an act that she wants to instill into the lives of her children. In December 2020, Kari was looking for an opportunity to make the holidays a bit brighter for children less fortunate than her own. She recalled donating to Nexus Family Healing in the past when we hosted gift drives and she decided to reach out.
Sara facing the camera wearing glasses and curly brown hair

A Cry For Help

Sara is young and afraid. At just 15 years old she struggles daily with mental illness, and her nights are filled with faceless, headless monsters in the form of hallucinations. Sara’s family had exhausted all resources available in their small Minnesota town and were running out of options. On one bad night, they found the Southeast Regional Crisis Center (SERCC). 
Family photo featuring Eric, Jeremie, and Dan

Finding Myself

Eric and Jeremie’s son, Dan, first experienced mental health challenges in middle school. As things became more difficult, their family sought out support. The family tried several options before finding Nexus-Gerard.
Aria with her son Jory

Providing Wraparound Services

Aria was a young teenager when her son Jory was born. Although she had the support of her parents, she was overwhelmed and needed additional support. Aria began working with a Nexus-PATH School Case Manager, Deena, and services were wrapped around the entire family.
black and white photo of a young boy in an elementary school hallway

Supporting an Entire Family

Third grader Jacob was having enormous struggles in school. When feeling overwhelmed, he would shut down and not talk or make eye contact with others for many minutes. Adults would try to redirect Jacob and he would lash out aggressively, resulting Jacob receiving lessons in a self-contained classroom to keep him and others safe. Jacob was referred to Nexus-PATH’s School Targeted Case Management Services for help.
Teenage boy smiling

Learning to Trust Again

Fourteen-year-old Darrin’s trauma occurred before he was old enough to remember what happened, but his body will never forget. With the help of his support team at Nexus-Gerard Family Healing, Darrin has been learning the skills to calm his body and mind when he finds himself in what he perceives to be a dangerous situation.
photo of three sibling brothers

Cherishing the Simple Things

A group of three high-spirited brothers, Joe (13), Jeremy (9), and Jared (7), had experienced significant neglect in their young lives due to their parents’ drug use. They were scared, distrusted other people, and sometimes behaved in reckless and aggressive ways because they never had the guidance to help them know how to cope with their emotions. Tim, a long-time Nexus-Kindred foster parent, knew he could make a difference in the lives of these boys.
Photo of a teenage boy in football gear

A Chance To Be A Kid

Michael was a 16-year-old with great spirit but a tough history when he arrived at Nexus-Mille Lacs. His life had been challenging. He had been shuffled in and out of multiple homes, got involved with the wrong crowd just to have a sense of belonging, and struggled to manage his mental health issues. He needed the therapy, tools, and guidance to help him move forward and live his best life. 
Picture of black teenage boy

Finding His Self-Worth

Some have described Michael as a “gentle giant” – a tall, teenage boy who enjoys reading, writing, and has a very sweet demeanor. He kept his emotions bottled up for years until he started acting out from his painful experiences at age 16. His broken self-esteem and loneliness, a result of his family’s inconsistent support and love, made it difficult for Michael to trust and accept others into his life. That all began to change when he arrived at Nexus-Woodbourne.