Communicate. Assess. Listen. Mediate.
These four steps can make all the difference when it comes to helping a person going through a behavioral health crisis, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwest Washington.
They form the foundation of the nonprofit’s CALM program, which aims to educate community members on how to de-escalate encounters with people experiencing a mental health episode. The program — open to nonprofit organizations, private businesses and individuals — offers practical tools and techniques for responding effectively when a person in crisis enters a workplace. Since its launch in March 2024, NAMI has delivered about 30 CALM presentations across the Clark County community.
“There have been so many times over the years when I have acknowledged someone walking down the street carrying their belongings and they’re shocked, because people don’t look at them. People don’t talk to them,” NAMI Executive Director Kim Schneiderman said. “It’s bad enough to be put in a situation where you feel less than, but to have everyone else act like you’re invisible? What a horrible thing. So we’re trying to solve that problem one person at a time.”
CALM is an adaptation of NAMI’s long-standing See Me presentation, which shares personal stories of those living with mental illness.
CALM is designed to equip businesses with compassionate and empathetic communication skills, and each presentation is tailored to resonate with the specific audience. For instance, the tactics shared with a local bank employee — who may rarely encounter someone in crisis — will differ significantly from those provided to staff at a nonprofit that regularly supports people facing homelessness or addiction, Schneiderman said.
Clark County Public Health, the city of Vancouver and other local organizations have participated in the program.
NAMI has upcoming presentations scheduled for staff at the Vancouver Housing Authority and Vancouver Mall later this month.
“We don’t want people to be afraid when someone walks into their building or their storefront. We don’t want the people that are walking in to be treated poorly. We don’t want the police to be called over silly things,” Schneiderman said. “But if we can make one person have a different outlook and a different way of responding, then we’ve succeeded.”
Alleviating stigma
NAMI is a national mental health organization with about 600 offices across the United States. The nonprofit offers a wide variety of mental health resources, including individual and family support groups, educational workshops and tools for crisis intervention.
The Southwest Washington groups began in Clark County in 1977 and in Cowlitz County in 1978, and the organization now also serves Skamania and Wahkiakum counties.
The Vancouver branch has new headquarters, too. In December, the nonprofit moved from its previous downtown Vancouver location into a new building at 4201 N.E. 66th Ave., Suite 105, in the Van Mall neighborhood.
The bigger space is equipped to accommodate more community gatherings, including art classes and workshops, as well as cater to walk-ins by people experiencing a crisis.
Many times, the fear people experience when they encounter someone in crisis stems from not knowing what they are witnessing, Schneiderman said.
That’s why CALM aims to educate and raise awareness about the many ways mental illness can appear — so people can ease some of that fear and misunderstanding.
“Most people, when they see somebody on the street corner yelling, they think that’s how that person is all the time,” Schneiderman said. “So we need to show people that is not true. There’s no need to be afraid of them.”
The first step of CALM is to communicate. It means speak slowly and clearly, maintain eye contact and use the name of a person in crisis.
Assess, the second step, means to take into account the environment, including the space between people within a physical building.
Listen, the third step, means to use active listening and paraphrase to connect with a person in crisis.
Mediate, the final step, means to respond with empathy, offer options or cite company policies and agree on a solution.
NAMI Community Educator Beth Iversen, who will lead two upcoming CALM presentations, said her personal experience with mental illness influences her approach to education.
“I do have mental health issues that have happened in my past, as well as with friends and family. So I bring that legacy along,” Iversen said. “Mental illness really is an all encompassing thing. But bringing some normalcy to that by allowing people to see that they’re not alone is why I was called to NAMI.”
Looking ahead
NAMI Southwest Washington plans to introduce two new programs this year, Schneiderman said.
The first is a relaunch of YouTalk, which initially launched in July 2021. It is designed to support teens, ages 13 to 19, who have a parent with mental illness. Before the official relaunch this spring, NAMI Southwest Washington is focused on revamping the program’s website, Schneiderman said.
In addition, NAMI plans to roll out a new initiative in June called Stigma Free Company.
The program hosts presentations for businesses that promote mental health awareness and help foster a workplace culture rooted in support, openness, compassion and acceptance, according to its website.
“What we’re trying to do is heal a community. Everyone is worthwhile and everyone belongs on this earth,” Schneiderman said. “People are living lives in shame, and they shouldn’t have to.”
