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The ResCare proposal would address some of these wait times and reduce the anguish faced by too <br />many. <br />NAMI Minnesota has been involved many times where a community was concerned when a new <br />small mental health facility or program was being proposed in a town or city. We understand that <br />some residents of Elk River are concerned about the ResCare proposal. Our experience is that the <br />fears are unfounded. Our experience is that these facilities are good neighbors and don't cause <br />problems. Please remember that they aren't "those" people — they are members of your community. <br />One in five people will experience a mental illness in any given year. A small percentage will need <br />more intensive treatment in a hospital or residential setting. People go to residential treatment to <br />continue to work on regaining good mental health. There are people in Elk River and in surrounding <br />communities that need this level of care. Being able to receive treatment close to friends and family <br />speeds recovery. <br />We hope that the residents and city council of Elk River will view this development favorably. It's <br />about helping your family or that of a neighbor. We can't build our mental health system if every <br />community rejects its development. — Sue Abderholden, MPH (Editor's note: Abderholden is the <br />executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Minnesota.) <br />