People still see the mentally ill as violent and frightening. They are neither. If you think you are immune:
Alex Lape is a supervisor of social workers for Dakota County. “My whole career,” she says, “has been spent working with the mentally ill. I’m very familiar with it and not afraid of it. The fear is part of the stigma, but, actually, there is nothing to be afraid of. The incidence of violence is very low.” (As a general rule, lower than in the general population.) “Mostly, the people are fearful themselves. And even when violence occurs, it is often a response to a perceived threat. The people are defending themselves against what their brains tell them is a dangerous situation. Mentally ill people have mispercep-tions of reality or their moods are not under the control of their brains. So they require care.”
“The mentally ill and the general population are much more alike than different. The residents of Birchwood appreciate the same things that the rest of us do.”
So it was Alex’s professional interests that led her to doing something for the people of the Birchwood residence. “After I went the first time,” she says, “I thought it would be a good idea to keep the interaction going.” She decided to meet with the residents on the third Saturday of every month. The idea was to take along as many pre-schoolers and their families as cared to come, to create a connection for the parishioners and residents as well as an educational experience for the preschoolers.
The monthly gatherings at Birchwood last from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., meeting in the recreation room in the basement of the building. The mainstays of the Birchwood Project are:
- Tom Lucy and Colleen Wherley and sons Theo (age 3) and Sullivan (age 1)
- Barbara Hahn and children Pavo and Antoinette
- Alex’s children Kellen Rholl (age 8) and Carter Rholl (age 6)
- Jan and Shirley - Friends of Alex, who receive mental health care themselves.
They live in their own house. Alex picks them up for the monthly meetings.
- Botze - Shirley’s helping dog(right): a not inconsiderable contributor to the meetings. The residents love him.
For the meetings, Alex takes along crafts and a snack. “The people want to be busy,” she says. In addition to the crafts, they enjoy watching the children (the youngest are particular favorites of the women residents who have had children of their own), playing with Botze, playing a game of some kind, looking at photos, etc. They sound easy to please and fun to be with. “There is no activity staff on the weekends,” Alex says, “another good reason that we are there.”
It is also helpful to Jan and Shirley, Alex points out, to be a part of the Birchwood Pro-ject. They not only receive help for their own illnesses, but contribute to the well-being of the others. “It gets to be like a spider web.” (A nice analogy - interconnected and interdependent).
Then there are the outings:
-
July fishing excursion to Cedar Lake. The residents fish off the pier. A great time is had by all. (I forgot to ask if they caught anything.)
- August trip to Como Park to ride the carousel
- Whatever else comes up: A Little league baseball outing, for example, in which friends/teammates of Alex’s boys played a game in uniform with the residents.
“There has never been a problem with any of the residents,” Alex says. “As I say, they are a lot like the rest of us.”
What does the Birchwood Project contribute to the participants? “A lot of things,” says Alex. “The residents look forward to the gatherings - it helps them. It also helps the families by teaching them something about mental illness and volunteering. It provides healthy role-modeling for the children. It helps Jan and Shirley in their recovery…” and so forth.
I might add the importance of giving people something to look forward to. One study found that a key ingredient in the lives of people who live to be 100 is having a reason to get up in the morning, a sense of purpose, something to make the day meaningful - like a dog to play with or a child to hold.
Two Little Stories
- Russell: A man in his 60’s, who is a resident of Birchwood. He was robbed in the neighborhood. They took his ID, social security card and $6. Though not hurt, he was terrified. “The residents get $74 a month,” Alex points out, “so even $6 is significant. It was sad.” Seeing the Birchwood Group come on the scene could only help. At least he could talk about it once more by telling Alex’s 6 year old son.
- James Carter: A resident of Hoikka House, a home for mentally ill adults. I knew him well when my ex-wife worked there. Extremely shy and sensitive, pudgy, round-faced, no one has ever made me feel more appreciated in conversation. He jumped from the High Bridge, circa 1978. I’d still be seeing him, I’m sure.
The Value of Volunteering
“I believe deeply in volunteering,” Alex asserts. “If everyone would do one volunteer activity, the world would be a better place. Really. I believe that. If you do something good, you not only give something away, but keep something good, too.”
“We bring a variety of human experience to the lives of the people of Birchwood. And they give us something in return, especially the children, who learn tolerance and under-standing.”
 |
 |
| Pat O'Regan is a technical and business writer. He has been attending Mass at
St Joan's for the past year and a half, finding a renewed and burgeoning
commitment to his faith in the loving company of the St Joan's congregation. Pat
hails from a small Minnesota farming community -- Montgomery -- and is a
graduate of St Thomas University and the University of Minnesota. Pat can be reached at Patxtra@aol.com.
|
Alex’s Farewell
“I’m leaving the Birchwood Family Service Project as an organizer. I will stay involved, however. If anyone is interested in joining the project, in any capacity, please call me (651-484-6631) for more information. Thank you.” 
 |
 |
| Nancy Lynch says, "Joy is being a wife, Mom of fourteen, eight with varying disabilities and living at home, Grandma of thirteen, and Great Grandma of three. Serenity is listening and watching the ocean, alone, at our home on Maui. Passion is friends, photography, reading, swimming and children." Nancy can be reached at nalynch@aol.com. |
Back to other Features
Some years ago, St Joan’s parish began the Birchwood Family Service Project. It was started to take pre-school children from the parish to the Birchwood House at Christmas time to introduce them to the residents. Alex Lape, a parishioner of St Joan’s, took over the project in January of 2001. “Why just do this volunteer work for the holidays?” she thought. “Why not do something all year long?”
The Birchwood Family Service Project