Mental health gets big boost from Sudbury's Melynda and Frank Grossi
Hugh Kruzel
A team of psychotherapists in Sudbury know that when it comes to mental health, many clients have no support, while others run out of treatment dollars before a return to wellness.
'It is time to address this gap,' said Stacey Roles of the Roles Alliance for Mental Health and Wellness, which is based in Sudbury but serves much of northeastern Ontario.
The Roles Alliance has recently launched a new not-for-profit organization that offers psychotherapy intervention to those in these two categories. it has just received a $100,000 private donation for startup costs and to support year one of their not-for-profit work.
Most of their work is done in the virtual world primarily because of distance.
'We do have clinicians at brick-and-mortar offices in Sudbury, Espanola, Elliot Lake, Sault Ste. Marie,' Roles said. 'We can meet individuals, couples, families. Within our team, we have someone who specializes in most areas we get requests for.'
Roles Alliance can treat a wide range of challenges and disorders.
Roles has personally trained the 18 colleagues who can help. She originally qualified as a nurse, earned a master's and then a PhD. She is the principal of The Roles Alliance for Mental Health and Wellness.
The board of directors include her, plus Kim Brouzes and Lynn Labelle.
'We tend to stop care for mental health when insurance runs out,' Roles has observed.
What then?
'What we are doing with this alliance is bridging between public health care and privatized health care. This is where this cheque is so important,' said Roles.
Melynda and Frank Grossi personally understand how much mental health affects all aspects of family, work, and the totality of life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how our thoughts and emotions affect actions and acknowledges that we can change.
'Mental health affects everybody,' said Frank Grossi, a Sudbury businessman who is open about his struggle. 'I've been dealing with a trauma that happened when I was young – 19 – that impacts me still to this day.
'It has been tough for my family. I have a great wife and family, and I was lucky to find and be assisted by Stacey and Kim. I saw multiple therapists over 28 years, but here I found this support system is what changed my life.
'It is time to start doing something for others. The sooner we can get in front of specialists, it really helps. My dreams and nightmares upset me … Here, I know others can find the solutions I discovered.
'We need to destigmatize mental health. I am not ashamed to say I am in therapy. I see results. I now want to get up every day. Sometimes, I don't know I've changed, but others say I have … and then I pause, reflect, and agree. So we wanted to make this donation.'
One hundred thousand dollars speaks to how much the Grossis value the efforts of The Roles Alliance.
'I know the importance of what he is getting here,' said Melynda Grossi.
'We are here to help people,' added Brouze. We hope that other people will also donate to the cause.
'Mental health is not like orthotics.' It is not a one-and-done.'
The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.
sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca
Bluesky: @sudburystar.bsky.social
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