MARSHALL, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — A new mental health resource called “The Living Room” has opened in Marshall, Illinois and it’s provided free of charge.
The new service opened Monday in the basement of the Forsythe Center, located in the Human Resources Center building at 406 N. Second street.
It’s a drop-in center for adults who are struggling with their mental health. The service is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Forsythe Land Company. Anyone who comes by will be able to meet with a mental health professional in a comfortable “living room” style setting.
“They’ll get to just talk. If they want to, find out what they need. Some people just need to vent. Some people need to do recovery activities like relaxation, figure out a coping skill for depression, things like that. Then, if it rises to a level of crisis, then we have trained staff who can provide crisis intervention,” explained Terra Ogle, supervisor of The Living Room.
Ogle says a service like this has been offered for about the past year and a half in Paris, Illinois, and she says it has been well-utilized by that community. She hopes the location in Marshall helps meet a need as well.
“The need is really high, especially right now during the winter, when seasonal affective disorder is rampant,” said Ogle.
The Living Room is open Monday through Friday from nine until five.
The center also has a 24-hour crisis line which can be accessed by calling 217-712-9766.
No appointment or insurance is needed to visit The Living Room. Again, it’s only offered for adults. The center says anyone under 18 who is struggling with mental health can call 988.
