IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – In a collaborative effort aimed at bolstering suicide awareness and support, a physical therapist and a Dickinson County social worker spearheaded a new local mental health day event, slated to become an annual fixture. The initiative, held this Thursday, garnered support from key organizations including the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center, the Cure Teen Advocacy Center, and Northpointe Behavioral Health.
Margo Recla-Juedes, a Physical Therapist at the ‘Real Heal’ Hybrid Mobile Physical Therapy Clinic, revealed that the event was inspired by personal tragedy: “A year ago my sister committed suicide.” Reflecting on the difficulty her family faced in accessing resources, she emphasized the need for readily available support. “During that struggle, I realized how hard it was to find information – not that there’s not information – but the time that our family spent trying to reach out to these resources was really hard so in honor of her, myself and a social worker from Norway, Dana Hodgins, compiled a list of all the local resources in town: their address, phone number, and if they take insurance, so people can have it pinned to their fridge for easy access in times of crisis.”
Speaking on the community’s response, Recla-Juedes expressed gratitude for the outpouring of donations and support, highlighting contributions from various local entities, including the VA and community members like 906 BreadBox who donated treats for incoming guests. “The town has been amazing… we’ll have some music later on,” she shared.
Looking beyond the event, Recla-Juedes outlined plans to distribute resource flyers not only within her clinic but also to other businesses, emphasizing the importance of community-wide access to mental health support.
“In the clinic alone, obviously we treat anything that comes in our door… but every single person has a mental health component,” Recla-Juedes noted, underscoring the holistic approach to healthcare.
With hopes for continued growth and impact, Recla-Juedes envisioned the event as the beginning of a larger movement. “I just hope that it’s the start of something bigger… I want it to be an annual thing.”
The Real Heal Physical Therapy Clinic is a hybrid mobile physical therapy clinic, treating patients in-clinic, and patients in-home when necessary. The clinic hosts Pilates 3 days a week, and has expanded down the hall, incorporating on-site massage therapists into the practice.
Real Heal Mobile Physical Therapy is located at 333 South Stephenson Avenue, in Downtown Iron Mountain.
