{"id":214940,"date":"2025-10-15T13:58:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T13:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/214940\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T13:58:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T13:58:15","slug":"this-mental-health-drop-in-center-offers-free-community-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/214940\/","title":{"rendered":"This mental health drop-in center offers free community support"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little over three decades ago, before Diane Fondow began spending time at Seward Community Support Program<\/a>, she described her life as pretty unsatisfying.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was living in a group home with two other women,\u201d Fondow recalled. \u201cMy day consisted of going to the hospital, doing groups focused on my mental health and then going home and doing nothing, staring at the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fondow\u2019s case manager suggested she visit Seward CSP, a community hub and drop-in support center for people with severe and persistent mental illness<\/a> (SPMI), including debilitating forms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Frustrated with the lack of friendships and connections in her life, Fondow decided to give it a try \u2014 a trial visit, she thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long to realize that Seward CSP was exactly what she was looking for. She found a community of peers who could understand her struggles and a support staff to help her tackle day-to-day issues, like communicating with landlords or managing benefits. A free homemade meal each day didn\u2019t hurt, either.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople weren\u2019t just focused on my mental health. They were focused on life in general. The members were friendly. The staff was friendly. I made a lot of friends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In late September, Fondow and her peers joined staff in celebrating Seward CSP\u2019s 30th anniversary. After an unexpected closure over the summer to repair a damaged roof, the party felt like a homecoming.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related: \u2018I\u2019m ready:\u2019 Sue Abderholden, longtime advocate for Minnesotans with mental illness, is stepping down<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThirty years is a long time,\u201d Fondow said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been fortunate because we have had each other for so long. We need a celebration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The symptoms of SPMI show up in multiple ways, but most people who live with them share a struggle to build connection and community, explained Ann Henderson, CEO of Mental Health Resources<\/a>, the St. Paul-based nonprofit that operates Seward CSP.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many people with SPMI \u201cdon\u2019t feel welcomed everywhere,\u201d she said, explaining that their symptoms sometimes manifest in ways that make others uncomfortable or afraid. As a result, many suffer from loneliness and isolation, Henderson said, making programs like Seward CSP an essential support..\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Rick Heglund, left, Adan Mendoza Pacheco and Clarinda Waterman, right, work on crafts at Seward Community Support Program and Drop-In Center on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minn. Heglund and Waterman said they\u2019ve both been coming to the center for at least 10 years. Credit: Ellen Schmidt\/MinnPost\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can come here and not be judged, and they can have fun and see their friends,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cThey can also get help. They can eat a meal. They can talk about paperwork.\u201d For some members, the CSP is their one reliable community touchpoint.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have had experiences where a member may have fallen ill, and that call can be life-saving,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cWe\u2019ve also had experiences where we\u2019ve identified somebody who has passed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Filling a gap in mental health care<\/p>\n

Beginning in the 1950s, states shut down many psychiatric institutions in favor of community-based care seen as more effective and humane. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)<\/a> teams assisted patients with health care and independent living, but \u201cthere was still a missing piece about how do people create community when they don\u2019t feel welcomed anywhere,\u201d Henderson said. \u201cThe CSPs filled that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

By design, CSPs offer low barriers to entry. To become a member, a person needs to visit at least one day a year, Henderson said. \u201cWe don\u2019t require people to take certain medications. We don\u2019t require that people are free from drugs or alcohol. We do ask them to be appropriate for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

That simplicity of access is key, said Tara Inveen, Seward CSP\u2019s program manager.\u00a0 \u201cWaiting time to get screened for in-home services is 16 weeks,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we\u2019ve been in the same spot for 30 years. People can go away for a long time and then come back to town, and we\u2019re still there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: Focused on recovery: Ramsey County Mental Health Treatment Court marks 20 years<\/a><\/p>\n

Most days, 40 to 50 people show up at Seward, of several hundred registered members. Once inside, they might grab a cup of coffee, read the paper or catch up on work at the computers. And there\u2019s usually a friendly game of Skip-Bo<\/a>. Staff are on hand to assist with the details of life that can quickly become overwhelming, like making an appointment or sending notice to a landlord.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For now, the program receives funding from the nonprofit Mental Health Resources along with Hennepin County dollars directed at adult mental health. Henderson said funding cuts at the federal level are worrisome, but the impact remains to be seen. \u201cThe county gives us less money today than they did 20 years ago to run the program. There is more need everywhere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Members play pool in front of a mural made by a former member at Seward Community Support Program and Drop-In Center on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minn. Credit: Ellen Schmidt\/MinnPost\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America
\n\u2018We talk about life\u2026 and that\u2019s good.\u2019<\/p>\n

Seward CSP\u2019s unexpected closure over the summer months to address building repairs only emphasized its need in the community, Inveen said. Though staff explained that the program would open again and even scheduled regular group meetups, many members still felt unmoored.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a big part of people\u2019s lives and their routines,\u201d Inveen said. While the community of peers is central, \u201cif they have a terrible day or if their symptoms increase or if there is a safety issue, [staff] supports are there for them.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n

For Fondow, the community has been life changing. Prior to Seward CSP, she was in and out of the hospital, seeking treatment for her most severe symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was trying to find something other than hospitalization, and it worked. I have not been in the hospital for 10 years,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The daily meal, prepared by a current member hired for the job, is a central touchpoint, Inveen said. \u201cThere is a ton of food insecurity with the people we\u2019re working with. We try to make it as healthy as we can, and have a variety. People always show up for the meal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Fondow, sharing a meal is healing. \u201cWe talk about ourselves, we talk about our animals, going to the movies, going to hockey games. We talk about life. It\u2019s not just, \u2019I\u2019m depressed today,\u2019 or, \u2018I don\u2019t feel good.\u2019 We\u2019re there for each other, and that\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Adan Mendoza Pacheco, left, and Franklin Pereira-Soto chat over coffee at Seward Community Support Program and Drop-In Center on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minn. Credit: Ellen Schmidt\/MinnPost\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A little over three decades ago, before Diane Fondow began spending time at Seward Community Support Program, she…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":214941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[49,48,84,393,394,44,104127],"class_list":{"0":"post-214940","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-mental-health","12":"tag-mentalhealth","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-twin-cities"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}