ND dad found mental health support when it mattered most
For Cale Homuth, 100 days of his life are a blur.
As a professional and parent, Homuth is no stranger to navigating complex systems. But when his own health began to unravel, he found himself lost with few clear paths forward – especially when it came to mental health.
A health crisis that couldn't be ignored
Homuth’s journey began with physical symptoms: high blood pressure, vision issues and eventually a dissociative episode that hit him on a Friday night. He was supposed to be heading out of town, but instead, he found himself saying, “I need to see a human today.”
That next week, Homuth didn’t go on his work trip. He didn’t go to the emergency room either – despite everyone telling him to. “I don’t know why I’m panicking,” he remembers saying. “But I know I don’t need an ER bill. Plus, the ER can’t give me what I need.”
Searching for help in a city that should have it
Even in Fargo, one of North Dakota’s most urban areas, finding mental health care felt overwhelming. Homuth and his mother searched online, called clinics and reached dead end after dead end.
The family knows the area well. Homuth graduated from Fargo South High School in 2011 and North Dakota State University in 2015. Yet even in the state’s largest city, access to care remained out of reach.
“It kind of felt like Mary and Joseph looking for an inn,” he said. “After explaining my symptoms, everyone said, ‘We don’t do that. We can’t help you.’”
VitellaCare: A turning point
That’s when Homuth tried VitellaCare – and everything changed.
VitellaCare offered same-day and next-day access to mental health professionals, something Homuth hadn’t experienced before. He connected with Troy Roness, Ed.M. (C/S), M.S., LPC, one of VitellaCare’s licensed professional counselors. Roness is a regional mental health expert who listened and helped Homuth find the right provider and treatment plan.
“I love taking care of people because everyone deserves a starting point, the beginning of a conversation and a chance to live authentically with a support system,” Roness said. “People should schedule time with care providers like me when they experience changes in mood, persistent negative emotions or have difficulty managing stress. Most individuals don't believe their symptoms are ‘that bad.’ Unfortunately, we then see people when they're at a breaking point. Ask for an appointment no matter how small the issue currently is."
The VitellaCare team helped Homuth adjust his treatment to better suit his needs. He also enrolled in Learn to Live, a structured, virtual mental health curriculum that helped him understand and manage his condition.
His VitellaCare team referred him to a depression and anxiety specialist at a larger medical system. The specialist helped Homuth with his medications and general health.
For the first time, Homuth felt like he wasn’t navigating the system alone.
The power of support – and speaking up
Homuth credits much of his progress to his support system – his wife, who understood his struggles through her own experience with anxiety, and his mother, who helped him recognize the signs of depression and pushed him to seek help.
He also acknowledges the societal pressure men face when it comes to mental health.
“It’s hard for men to talk about this stuff,” he said. “But if I can share my story, maybe someone else will feel like they can too.”
Looking ahead
Today, Homuth is adjusting to his new medication and feeling more like himself. He’s more present with his family, more focused at work and more hopeful about the future. He knows the journey isn’t over – but now, he has the tools and support to keep moving forward.
And he wants others to know: You don’t have to wait weeks for help. You don’t have to go it alone. With services like VitellaCare, help can come when you need it most.
