Pictured from left, Brooke Quinn, Lake Superior Community Partnership senior business development representative; Jessica Hanley, city of Marquette mayor; Garrick Lamb, Baraga Fire Department.; Kirk Vogler, CISM team; Hale Volger; Dean Seaberg, AuTrain Fire Department.; Katy Vogler, Flourish Financial Partners®; Todd Brock, Alger County Sheriff's Office; Tom Kinnunen, Michigan State Police; Susan Andary, FST5; and Greg Zyburt, Marquette County sheriff; Jackie Lasich, FST5; Ryan Grim, Marquette Police Department chief of police; Kristie Buruse, FST5; Tony Carrick, Chocolay Township Police Department chief of police; Jason Swanson, Northern Michigan University police; Lily Mallett, NMU police; Sally Davis, city of Marquette commissioner, Rachel Raak, LSCP; and Diana Sunberg, LSCP. (Courtesy photo)

MARQUETTE – Frontline Strong Together celebrated the opening of its new Upper Peninsula Wellness Center on Oct. 6 with a ribbon-cutting hosted in partnership with the Lake Superior Community Partnership. The new center is located at 200 W. Washington St., in Marquette.

Created to support police officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, correctional officers, 911 dispatchers and their immediate families, FST5 is a statewide program dedicated to addressing the unique mental health needs of first responders. The initiative is a collaboration between mental health professionals and first responders, designed to provide support for invisible injuries and the stressors inherent in these demanding professions.

The Upper Peninsula Wellness Center will serve as a flagship model for responder-focused care. The center features a resident therapist and two peer supporters on staff, as well as first responder-specific AA/NA/GA and Al-Anon meetings (available in person and via Zoom), and a wellness room for responders and their families. The wellness space features a Spedience machine, a bike, a cross-country ski machine, and a massage pod, all designed to encourage healthy outlets for stress relief.

“We believe this wellness center represents a vital step forward in improving the well-being, resilience, and prosperity of Michigan’s first responders and their families,” said leadership at Frontline Strong Together. “With the support of Wayne State University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, and in partnership with first responder unions and interest groups, we are proud to expand access to resources and create a safe, supportive space for our community.”

For more information about FST5 and its programs, visit fst5.org.

LSCP ribbon cuttings are funded by Flourish Financial Partners®.