Friendship Circle’s Leah and Levi Stein Address the Need for Mental Health Services

BY ERIN BLOODGOOD

When you walk into the Friendship Café and Bakery on Port Washington Road, you immediately hear kids laughing, bustling conversations, and feel a sense of warmth emanating from the room. Kids are making art together while the coffee steamer hisses behind the café counter—and everyone in the room appears to be smiling.

Leah and Levi Stein built this center in 2016 to provide friendship and opportunities for people with special needs, but what they really built was a support network and community space. People may not realize how lifechanging it could be to make a friend, explains Levi. “I didn’t have any friends myself in school,” he says, but when he found the Friendship Circle growing up in Detroit, he got involved and found a supportive space to build lasting relationships.

Many kids with special needs such as down syndrome, autism, or even undiagnosed mental health issues struggle finding friends in school, which can leave them with feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. “Anyone who is struggling with their mental health can benefit from a friend,” says Levi. The center Levi and Leah built creates a space for people of all ages to flourish by offering programming like art nights, teen support groups, and adult employment training programs.

Focusing On Mental Health

Recently, the organization shifted to put a special empha sis on mental health services to address the urgent need in the state. Many are calling mental health a crisis here in Wisconsin, including Gov. Evers who declared “2023 the Year of Mental Health.” Here in Milwaukee, adolescent self-harm and attempted suicide is increasing at one of the highest rates in the country.

As Levi points out, there’s something missing in the many mental health services and organizations around the state: suicide prevention trainings. The organizations that offer these trainings tend to offer simplified online trainings. So, the Friendship Circle has launched their SafeTALK program with new funding from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Levi leads these four-hour suicide prevention train ings at locations around the state to teach people how to recognize when someone is having thoughts of suicide and how to connect them to help.

“The problem is, all these people having thoughts of suicide are not necessarily going to those organizations, they’re not seeking help,” says Levi. “They’re kind of letting go of subtle hints and if we don’t pick up on those, their life could end.” The need is urgent, and Levi and Leah want to offer these trainings to as many people as possible.

Programming For Teenagers

According to a 2022 study by the Wisconsin Office of Chil dren’s Mental Health, 18% of teens are seriously considering suicide. The Friendship Circle understands the particular vul nerability of teens, which is why they host Teen Talk sessions. In this program, teenagers meet once a month with other peers in their area to talk about their feelings of grief and depression, without judgement.

Levi and Leah have clearly put their hearts into the center and have worked to make a welcoming space for everyone—whether they have special needs or not. That love and community shows the minute you walk through the doors.

It's hard to underscore just how much these programs mat ter, but as Levi says, “Being a friend is subtle, but can have a life changing difference.”

Learn more about the Friendship Circle at www.fcwi.org.

Erin Bloodgood is a Milwaukee photographer and storyteller. See more of her work on her website at www.bloodgoodfoto.com.