Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you all safe and well, and enjoying these fleeting days of late summer. It's been a busy summer at Hannah's House and we are excited for what's in store for fall. With two new additions to our growing team of therapists we are able to expand individual therapy. Expanded program offerings include therapy groups series, a weekly “Walk & Talk” group, several new offerings in our schools including teen empowerment, Iyengar Yoga, Yoga Nidra, mindfulness/meditation, therapeutic group drumming and therapy dog visits. This school year we look forward to bringing these opportunities to even more children and teens. Partnering with several community organizations to bring workshops and speakers to our community allow us to reach more in need with our mission and increase awareness and stigma around mental illness and therapy.

None of this work would be possible without the support of our incredible group of licensed therapists, volunteer board members, and generous donors. Together, we are increasing capacity at a sustainable pace and finding new ways to provide locally accessible, high-quality mental health services. We are 13 years strong and growing.

With sincere gratitude,

Chrissy Rivers

Executive Director

Donate Here

Announcing Our New Clinicians!

Katie Fennelly has chosen to continue on with Hannah's House! She is working toward becoming a LCMHC (licensed clinical mental health counselor) now that she's attained her Master's degree at Antioch. She will continue working under Heidi Robbins's supervision for 3,000 hours before becoming licensed in Vermont.

Catherine Hirce is the newest therapist to join Hannah’s House and will be joining us this Fall. Catherine received a Masters in Therapeutic Interventions and a School Psychology certification from Fordham University and recently completed her masters to become a LCMHC (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor) in the state of Vermont. She will also be working under the supervision of Heidi Robbins, licensed psychologist.

Louise Rosales, APRN

Hannah's House therapists now have an additional resource for consultation regarding more complex client care. Louise will consult remotely from her private practice when needed.

Louise is a board certified family nurse practitioner, who holds a second board certification in adult psychiatric and mental health. She completed her B.S. and M.S.N at Fairfield University, and a post-master's certificate at the University of Vermont in 2007. In 2018 she completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP). She has practiced in college health for 21 years and since 2007, has also been working in a private psychiatric practice. She is also the psychiatric provider at Crossroads Intensive Outpatient Program. Louise lives with her husband in Jericho, VT.

Waterbury Office Flooded

Although our second floor office remained dry throughout the flood on July 11, the lower levels of the building did not. We are in the process of returning to that office for appointments.

We are on the lookout for a handicap-accessible office space in Waterbury so please contact us if you have any leads!

Advocacy Efforts

Mad River Valley Rotary

Our local Rotarians warmly welcomed our Executive Director Chrissy Rivers and longtime Board Member Susan McKnight to their June meeting. We updated them on the youth mental health crisis and all of our recent efforts to combat it. They are a large, hardworking crew that genuinely cares about our community. We're confident they will help us to bring more mental health education to our community. This spring they helped finance a district-wide teacher appreciation project.

Congressional Town Hall

RE: Youth Mental Health Crisis

Chrissy and one of our dedicated board members Catherine Shapiro attended this packed town hall meeting in Barre on June 23. They were deeply moved to witness the sharing of so much suffering which repeatedly highlighted Vermont's inadequate youth mental health services. We will continue to press on to enact change at the state level.

Click here to watch the town hall meeting...

Helpful Resources

Weekly Walk & Talk

Every Monday at 9:30am our beloved board member Susan McKnight arrives on Meadow Road in Waitsfield to welcome all walkers! This is open to the public and a great way to meet people in the community. Tell us if you'd like to be on that specific email list.

Free Gun Locks

"Keep your Guns Safe, Keep your people safe" is one of several messages Vermont leaders have shared recently to increase safety surrounding guns. Free gun locks have been made available to the public at many locations around the state. Hannah's House in Waitsfield & Waterbury, Vermont now has gun locks available to anyone. Please contact Hannah's House at 802-496-9715 or email Chrissy to pick up a free gun lock.

Register for Free Upcoming Class

Hannah's House is sponsoring a Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification Class on August 14th at the Waitsfield Town Office. This class is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

Lunch will be provided and Hannah's House will cover the costs for the course.

Two hours of pre-work on your own is required prior to the August 14th class.

Reserve your spot by responding to this post, emailing Chrissy or calling 802-496-9715.

Book Discussion

The Warren Public Library has selected local author and journalist Erika Nichols-Fraizer's memoir, Feed Me: A Story of Food, Love and Mental Illness, for their September book club. The group meets at the library at 6 pm on Sept. 11 and Erika will be joining the second half of the discussion. There will be homemade cookies. Hannah's House has a copy of the book if you need one.

Find a Therapist

By clicking this link, you can view a list of therapists in Vermont with current openings. This listing is updated every week. Please share this with anyone in your life who is seeking mental health counseling services.

Ongoing Support Groups

NAMI VT is a helpful organization and offers ongoing support groups related to mental health in addition to many other services. Some of the groups are held in person; some are via Zoom/computer. Click here to view available support groups.