Northwest Passage recently welcomed visitors from several state agencies to the Northwest Passage Gallery in Webster to discuss the importance of social connectedness of youth. Linda Hall, Director of the State of Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH), organized representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Human Services (DHS), the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), and other members of the OCMH to meet, tour the gallery, and share each organization’s approach to social connectedness. Also in attendance were representatives and residents from Northwest Passage and the Burnett Area Arts Group (BAAG), Northwest Passage Board Member Jennifer Turrentine, Webster School District Superintendent Jeff Fimreite, and members of the general public.

The OCMH strategic focus emphasizes that social connectedness is essential for learning the life lessons that, from an early age, allow healthy people to build, participate in, and maintain relationships; through relationships, we communicate, are cared for, and feel we belong. Ian Karl, Experiential Coordinator for Northwest Passage, and three Northwest Passage residents spoke about the opportunities their relationship with the National Park Service has provided them to engage with the natural environment and their community through education, recreation, and conservation efforts. Northwest Passage also creates social connectedness opportunities for its staff and residents through partnerships with BAAG, the Frederic Nursing & Rehabilitation Community, and local libraries to name a few.

Superintendent Fimreite commented after the residents spoke saying, “when I received this invitation it promised to be an inspiring event, and you didn’t disappoint.” Following the presentations, many attendees took time to look closer at the artwork on display at the Northwest Passage Gallery and opted to take prints, cards, and other photo merchandise home to share Northwest Passage’s mission with others.

About Northwest Passage

Founded in 1978, Northwest Passage is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring hope through innovative mental health services for children and families. Northwest Passage has become a national leader in residential mental health assessment and treatment for youth experiencing severe and complex emotional and behavioral disruptions. The organization has two residential facilities. Riverside, situated on 70 acres of iconic Northwoods landscape and bisected by the winding Clam River in Webster, WI, serves adolescent males and gender-diverse adolescents ages 12-17. The Prairieview campus is located on 25 acres of rolling prairie in Frederic, WI, and houses adolescent females and gender-diverse adolescents ages 12-17 as well as Northwest Passage’s Assessment Program which serves youth ages 6-17 in a co-ed environment. Northwest Passage is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), QRTP Certified, and has earned academic accreditation through Cognia, Inc.