About Us
A neutral convenor and facilitator
working to create a mentally healthy community
• eradicate stigma • achieve insurance parity • improve availability of services •
The Mental Health Coalition of the Greater La Crosse Area is a community coalition composed of advocates for mental health and providers of mental health services. It exists to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, to achieve insurance parity for mental health treatment, and to improve access to mental health services for those who need diagnosis, treatment and support.
We organized in 2004 as an umbrella organization working to create a mentally healthy community. While the Coalition does not provide direct mental health services, the participating agencies and groups do. The Coalition includes:
- Blufflands Guardians and Conservators
- Catholic Charities
- Coulee Council on Addictions
- Couleecap
- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
- Domestic Violence Intervention Project
- Drug Court
- Family and Children’s Center
- Family Resources
- Franciscan Skemp Healthcare
- Franciscan Spirituality Center
- Front Door Ministry @ the Cathedral
- Great Rivers 2-1-1
- Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
- Hmong Mutual Assistance Association
- Independent Living Resources
- Justice Sanctions
- La Crosse Community Foundation
- La Crosse Mental Health Consumer Advisory Council
- La Crosse County Health Department
- La Crosse County Human Services Department
- La Crosse Police Department
- La Crosse Sheriff’s Department
- Lutheran Social Services
- NAMI-La Crosse
- New Horizons
- Onalaska Police Department
- Options Clinic
- Public Defenders Office
- RAVE (Recovery Avenue) Drop-in Center
- Riverfront
- Salvation Army
- Self-Sufficiency Program @ UW-L
- St. Clare Health Mission
- UW-La Crosse
- Viterbo
- WAFER
- WTC
- YWCA of the Coulee Region
as well as interested individuals and churches.
Awards
- NAMI Wisconsin "Community Service Award" 2006
- CouleeCAP "Leadership in Mental Health Award" 2007
Financial Support
We thank the following for their financial support, which allows the Mental Health Coalition to continue to educate about mental health, mental illness and stigma.
- Gundersen-Lutheran Medical Foundation
- Franciscan Skemp Foundation
- La Crosse Community Foundation
- La Crosse Rotary Foundation
Board of Directors
- Michael Desmond (president), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Foundation
- Mark Cimeley, EAP Services for Businesses, Franciscan Skemp Health Systems
- Mary Lu Gerke, VP, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
- Steve Helgeson, La Crosse County Sheriff
- Kris Hengel, RN, Veterans Administration Hospital
- Loren Kannenberg, La Crosse County Health and Human Services Board
- Patrick Kerrigan, VP for Communications and Marketing, Viterbo University
- John Medinger, La Crosse County Board of Supervisors
- John Pershing, MD, Medical Director, Logistics Health Inc.
- Becky Schumacher, North Central Trust
- Patti Jo Severson, NAMI Wisconsin and La Crosse
- Steve Tanke, Mid-City Steel
- John Wettstein, Business Owner, retired
Also see our pages on our history and current work.