In this article, reporter Ray Grosser, who previously worked with youth suffering from abuse and trauma, features Leo Carew’s turnaround while looking into the overall state of evolving local mental and substance abuse care.
Trigger warning: this article mentions suicide
Before moving to Reno, I worked at a day treatment center in Denver. We spent all day hanging out with kids who had already seen way too much in their short time on Earth. Almost all of the youth at the center had suffered (or were currently suffering) through severe trauma and abuse. We faced the problem that most facilities do in this line of work: a constant lack of both staff and money, paired with an always-increasing necessity for behavioral health services.
There is a need for access to these services everywhere, a fact that is readily apparent here in Reno. I wanted to figure out what kind of resources are available here. I found that, fortunately, Washoe County is taking some hugely important leaps in this area.
Recently, Julia Ratti (in photo above) was hired as the county’s first Behavioral Health Administrator to oversee and improve the system for mental health and substance abuse challenges in the community.
Another step forward is the planned reopening of West Hills Behavioral Health Center. The county has secured funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (the act that provided financial relief from COVID) in order to complete renovations of the center, which closed in 2021 due to lack of funding (among other factors). West Hills may start accepting patients as early as this summer, potentially including youth patients.
Meanwhile, Willow Springs, a residential center for youth in need of mental and behavioral health care, which offers outpatient services as well, continues to face challenges.
Very sadly, a patient died by suicide there in March of last year. While the existence of these facilities are important in itself, it’s vital that they receive adequate funding that will allow for sufficient staffing and services. When there is no money or resources, then facilities can easily become nothing more than a roof and a room for the people in our community who need so much more.
Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital which opened its doors to the community in 2018 is trying as best it can to provide much needed local help. Since opening, the Sierra Center Parkway location has provided inpatient and outpatient services for folks in need of mental health and psychiatric care. The hospital is “near and dear” to Don Butterfield, its current CEO.
“Unfortunately, Nevada ranks 38th in access to mental health resources,” says Butterfield, referring to a 2023 report by Mental Health America. Due to the scarcity of quality inpatient care for youth in Northern Nevada, Reno Behavioral has expanded their programs with more than half of their beds dedicated to youth treatment, according to Butterfield.
Youth treatment is tremendously important for early intervention. I wanted to speak with someone who had a positive experience with mental health care here in Reno, but of course, it’s also important to protect kid’s identities. And the flip side of the coin is that it’s never too late to seek mental health help, either.
So, I was lucky enough to meet 57 year old Leo Carew. Leo was adopted at two years old “by a wonderful family,” and grew up in a loving home. Early on, Leo began feeling like his life was missing something, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. “I found myself attracted to alcohol, to drown my emptiness,” Leo told me.
He left his parents house after school, and took his coping tools with him. His alcoholism made it really difficult to hold down a job for long. It also made it really tough to save money. “I’d be like ‘oh my god, ten dollars, let me go buy a bottle,’ rather than spend it on food,” Leo remembers. Fortunately for Leo, he had something that a lot of people don’t have– a supportive family. “When a dire need for money came around, I always had my father to fall back on,” Leo said.
Leo is a self-described modern day prodigal son, his father always welcoming him back with forgiveness, and even once bailing Leo out of jail. So, you and I can only imagine how hard it hit when Leo’s dad passed away. “I was lost…I felt the world crumbling around me,” Leo was filled with emotion as he remembered his dad.
He moved to Reno after his father died, looking for a fresh start. What he found here, though, “was just a different bunch of drinking buddies.” Leo cycled through life this way for a while– he was able to find a great job at Sprouts, and a community at church. But he wasn’t able to stop drinking.
Leo has benefited from family always trying to help him.
One day after a particularly intoxicating weekend, some friends and a couple of Leo’s sisters stepped in, and took him to Reno Behavioral Health Hospital. “March 24th, 2019,” Leo recalls. “That was my last day drinking.” When he got to the hospital, Leo had made up his mind: “I’m gonna take the help that they’re gonna give me, and I’m gonna run with it.”
When I asked him what it was about this place that made a difference for him, he gave credit to the people working there who “take you by the hand.” He appreciated the one on one therapy sessions, and the time and space that the program provided him to reflect on his life through writing. He also feels a lot of gratitude for his sisters, who really wanted to help him find a better path.
Leo spent ten days at Reno Behavioral. When he came out on the other side, Leo finally felt ready to take on the world without the bottle. Thanks to an understanding supervisor, he was able to keep his job at Sprouts. He started going to AA meetings, where he recently received his five year chip.
Leo also got married to a woman who he gushes over now, telling all of his regulars at Sprouts about her and their life together. The two of them keep busy between work, church, and making travel plans together.
With a lot of hard work and a little luck, Leo was able to turn his life around for the better. In the midst of a nationwide mental health and substance abuse crisis, stories like Leo’s can seem hard to come by. And there’s a lot of pieces to Leo’s stories that are missing from others: a loving family, a supportive community, and a program that really worked.
But Reno has an opportunity to fill in these gaps for other folks, too. Continuing to prioritize and invest in mental health resources can go a very long way for our community. Between all of us, we have a whole lot of love and energy to extend towards our neighbors who are in the thick of mental health crises.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis of any kind, you can call the National Mental Health Hotline at 866-903-3787, or the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988. And if you are interested in the services and programs at Reno Behavioral Health hospital, you can receive a free and confidential assessment by calling 775-393-2201 at any time, day or night.