Support Groups
For descriptions of ongoing weekly support groups, please see calendar.
Workshops & Classes
Check the calendar for weekly classes including Creative Writing, Gentle Yoga, Creative Expression, Beading for Wellness, and more.
Peer Support
People with similar experiences meeting with one another to help each other overcome life’s difficulties. SPIRIT Peer Supporters are graduates of the SPIRIT APS 101 training and receive ongoing supervision.
Community Garden
YOU are invited to our Weekly Community Garden Work Days each Friday.
A garden currently grows squash and tomatoes on the five acres, along with grapes and several fruit trees including apples, Asian pears, and plums. Gardening is recognized as a way to instill wellness in individuals facing mental health challenges, and those of us who love growing things know how wonderful it is to garden. Gardening is beneficial for our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. We encourage community members to join us in maintaining our beautiful garden at Spirit Center.
WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)
This is an evidence base program that helps folks get well and stay well. It has a daily maintenance plan, ways to identify triggers and when things maybe getting worse with their mental health.
Food Distribution
The Food Pantry can be accessed Tuesday – Saturday. 1 bag per family. Please register to be eligible
Outreach to Emergency Department Program
In our Emergency Department Program program which, began in early 2013 Trained peer supporters from SPIRIT Peer Empowerment Center offer direct, immediate support to people in mental health crisis at the Emergency Department of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital (SNMH-ED) and the Crisis Stabilization Unit located out side the ED.
This program places trained peer supporters at the SNMH –ED and CSU, working with the Crisis Team and CSU workers from Nevada County Behavioral Health, in coordination with the hospital. Crisis Peers will be available on call daily from 12 PM to 10 PM. Peer supporters will also provide follow up phone calls to assist people as they connect with community services and hope to avoid a repeat visit to the ED.
This program, funded by the California State Mental Health Services Act (MHSA, Prop 63), gained final approval by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors on December 11, 2012, after an extended process of review by a variety of community groups.
Program for the Unhoused
Starting in January of 2021, SPIRIT began offering needed programs and services to its unhoused participants thanks to an Emergency Services Grant. Two housing specialists and one housing peer offer individual support to those looking for housing. We also host a weekly housing group on Wednesday mornings (see our Calendar here), where participants can learn about opportunities for housing, get support filling out rental applications as well as get support navigating the challenges that come with being unhoused. To further support our unhoused participants, we offer hot meals for lunch between 12 and 1 daily on days the Center is open.