Salvation Army to get boost paying for psychiatric services from Mayo

Another match day for the Red Kettle Campaign for Salvation Army of La Crosse County.

This time, Mayo Health System will match up to $15,000 on Saturday, to help pay for mental health services at the shelter.

For three years, Mayo in La Crosse has helped supply the Salvation Army with psychiatric services a few hours a week for some staying there. Nick Ragner with the Salvation Army said the services usually cost upwards of $30,000 per year.

Ragner said the program has shown them that the answer isn’t as simple as a bowl of soup or a roof over a client’s head.

“Sometimes those issues start somewhere else,” Ragner said. “So, whether that is some type of addiction or some type of mental health issue, a lot of the folks that come here and stay in the shelter just don’t have the resources of going to one of the hospitals.”

Ragner added that there is an obvious connection between mental health problems and homelessness.