Alisa Sholly, who has participated in No Longer Alone Ministries family support group meetings for about a decade is grateful for the experience. "As the name says, I no longer feel alone in knowing how to deal with mental health concerns involving loved ones," said Sholly. "I receive valuable information on mental health topics, a listening ear from others that can understand, and prayer."

Michele Sipel, director of InHome Services with Landis at Home a division of Landis Communities, is well attuned with the mission of the support group, which meets monthly at Landis Homes. Sipel serves as a liaison for the group, which provides a safe place to open up for those who have a loved one living with mental illness. "It's a different world, and unless you live it, you don't know (what it's like)," said Sipel. "It's one of those subjects where there's a lot of stigma, but it is so important."

Meetings are held on the fourth Sunday of each month. The next support group meeting will be held via Zoom on Sunday, Jan. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m. The January meeting will include a video by Dr. Matthew Stanford, PhD, followed by discussion.

The support group was an offshoot of No Longer Alone Ministries (NLAM), which functioned in Lancaster from 1991 to 2019. When NLAM closed its doors, a peer support group and the family support group overseen by the ministries were transferred to local entities. The peer support group, called Paths to Discovery, became part of Faith Friendship Ministries, and the family support group transferred to Landis, where several of the founding members live.

Landis offered personnel with the necessary expertise to help organize the group as well. Sipel noted that Evon Bergey, vice president of community initiatives with Landis Homes, is from a behavioral health background and added that she and other organizers work with Bob Musser, a licensed social worker who worked with NLAM, to plan meetings, line up speakers, and facilitate meetings. The group began meeting at Landis Homes in January of 2020. After the advent of COVID-19 restrictions, the group met virtually. In 2023, January, February, and March meetings will be held via Zoom so that inclement weather will not be a deterrent. The group plans to meet virtually once each quarter so that those who cannot come to Landis Homes may attend.

Among the past topics that were covered at meetings are innovations in treatment, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, overcoming grief, mental health and the Bible, and bringing healing to senior care.

Sipel said the group provides an atmosphere of caring and acceptance. "You get to know each other, so people feel comfortable being vulnerable. It is very therapeutic to be able to speak about what you're going through with others who have lived it and understand."

Sholly noted that NLAM has provided her with optimism. "It is a place to find hope when things seem hopeless," she said. "I encourage anyone who is struggling or knows someone that is struggling with mental health issues to attend. It has been a Godsend for me and my family."

To register for the January Zoom meeting, contact 717-381-3599 or jalbright@landis.org by noon on Friday, Jan. 20.