Mental illness took her son’s life. So SLO County mom started a group to help others
Editor’s Note: This story mentions suicide.
After her son died by suicide in July 2023, Lauri Strain knew his story didn’t end there.
That’s when she decided to found Hope with I.A.N., a nonprofit that aims to help spread mental health and suicide awareness and holistic resources geared toward young adults in San Luis Obispo County.
It’s named after her son, Ian Strain, who died when he was 21 years old after a years-long battle with mental illness. He was first diagnosed with a cannabis-induced psychosis at 17 in 2020, then later bipolar 1 in 2022.
His name in the nonprofit doubles as an acronym for “Inner Awareness Now,” a nod to the organization’s value of paying attention the whole body experience of mental health, focusing on treating root causes holistically instead of only the symptoms.
Her son’s experience opened Lauri’s eye to how many people struggle with mental health in SLO County and lack the resources to recover. The average age-adjusted rate of deaths due to suicide in SLO County has been consistently higher — at least 50% more — than the state’s average for over a decade from 2011 to 2023, according to mental health data from SLO Health Counts.
“We just don’t have the right resources here,” Lauri Strain said. “That’s why we are here to help bridge the gap.”
For Strain, Hope with I.A.N. breaks a stigma that she carried with her nearly her whole life. Her father died by suicide when she was a teen, something she rarely spoke about in her life.
“This is a way that we’re going to be carrying his legacy and honoring his life,” Lauri said. “I want everybody to know who he is and what kind of impact he made on people.”
Ian’s story
When her son had his first episode in January 2020, Strain didn’t know where to go for help. As it turned out, neither did anyone else.
Her son went to the Twin Cities Hospital emergency room in Templeton, where she was told to pick him up at 1:30 a.m. and take him home without guidance and resources despite his clear manic episode, Strain said.
Her son continued to be in crisis, and Strain couldn’t find the resources he needed, especially since he was a teen. The closest hospital for teens was Vista Del Mar in Ventura, so she drove him there.
The hospital place Ian on a three-day mental health hold, which bought Strain time to figure out what to do.
After three days, the hospital said they couldn’t keep Ian any longer, but Strain said he “clearly was not ready to come home” and she was not equipped to give him the care and attention he needed while he stabilized. She asked the doctor to extend his stay, but he told her he would have to call Child Protective Services if she did not pick him up that day, she said.
With no where else to turn, Strain contacted Visions Teen Medical Residential Treatment in Malibu — one of the few dual-diagnosis teen treatment centers nearby — which said they could only take in her son if she could pay $80,000 with a cashier’s check. Insurance covered only a small fraction of the cost, she said.
She and her husband figured out the money — they felt there were no other options — and her son was able to receive treatment for 45 days. There, Ian was diagnosed with cannabis-induced psychosis and received medication.
Strain emphasized that Ian was not a heavy cannabis user — he only “dabbled” as a teenager — but rather she believes it was the strength and concentration of the cannabis produced these days that put her son at risk.
After he was released from Visions, he was gradually weaned off the anti-psychotic medication, knew not to take cannabis anymore and was able to heal completely.
He enrolled at Cuesta College, then transferred to Sonoma State University, where he attended a study abroad program at Jaen University in Spain in September 2022.
Ian was doing great in Spain, his mother said. He had organized the whole trip himself, called home every day, was making a lot of friends and connected well with his host family. The Strain family is still in contact with many of Ian’s friends from Spain, and his host family, to this day.
By December 2022, Ian began to have symptoms of another psychotic episode. Strain and her husband flew to Spain to help Ian stabilize and bring him home.
Once they were back in SLO County — and after struggling to get Ian in to see his psychiatrist, who originally told Strain there was a three-month wait before fitting Ian in — he was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder. He started seeing a therapist and finding the right medications for him. It was trial and error, she said, but he appeared to be doing better.
“He worked out religiously. He ate healthy foods. He meditated,” Strain said. “He did all these things to try to help himself.”
But as he came out of the mania, depression started taking over, she said.
Depsite everything, Ian appeared to be doing well and was excited for the future. He was expecting to start school at CSU San Marcos that fall.
The morning of July 22, 2023, Ian made his parents a beautiful breakfast, Strain said. He and his dad made plans to drive to San Diego the following week to apartment hunt before school started. Later that day, he told his mom he was going to the gym.
But Ian never came home that day.
Instead, Lauri found a note from him with the central mantra of Ho’oponopono, the ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness:
“I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
Straion has her son’s final words tattooed on her arm in his handwriting, so that he is always with her.
“Ian taught me a lot. He’s taught our whole family a lot,” Lauri said. “What is important is connecting with people, helping people just be more compassionate.”
What does Hope with I.A.N. do?
Just before his one-year “angel-versary,” Strain founded Hope with I.A.N. to empower, educate and support families and individuals in San Luis Obispo County who face mental health challenges, with a focus on suicide awareness and prevention.
“I had a strong feeling I needed to start something to help other people,” she said. “This is how we’ve turned our pain into purpose.”
Their flagship program is Dr. Neil Nedley’s Depression & Anxiety Recovery Program, an eight-week course that focuses on finding and treating the root causes of depression, anxiety and related mental health challenges, rather than just managing symptoms, Strain said.
The educational program, geared toward 18- to 25-year-olds, is rooted in a holistic but science-backed approach that teaches about lifestyle changes, community-building and cognitive behavioral therapy. Participants take a self-evaluation at the beginning and again at the end of the course to learn more about their mental health and try to discover the root cause.
These are things Ian had already practiced subconsciously, Strain said. Her son regularly enjoyed meditation, sunshine and prioritized connecting with others.
In his journal, Ian would record conversations he shared with strangers and how he was able to connect deeply in just a few moments. He valued undivided attention in conversation, his mother said, and was rarely on his phone. He wanted everyone to “get off the hamster wheel,” slow down and sit in the beauty of life.
“He would literally walk up to somebody who was clearly homeless and just give them attention and show them love and compassion,” Strain recalled. “We really want to honor Ian’s life by doing the same thing and spreading that message that every life is important.”
Both Strain and her husband became facilitators to hold hourlong weekly courses in SLO County. Hope with I.A.N. also offers scholarships for the intensive, one-day training sessions to get more people — especially younger adults — certified to lead the classes themselves.
The whole eight-week course costs $100 to enroll, but Strain said scholarships are available for those who are prohibited by the cost.
The nonprofit just wrapped up its first full-run of the program on Monday, but the group will continue to meet for 20 weeks to host weekly follow‑up gatherings like beach walks, nature outings and wellness activities — like visits to a local hydrotherapy center — to help participants maintain community and reinforce what they learned.
Long-term, she hopes to create a 10‑day, retreat‑style residential center in SLO County — similar to the residential program Nedley Health offers — and is exploring ideas like a “friendship bench” model where trained listeners are available in public spaces.
Strain has also been certified in suicide prevention and envisions offering suicide‑prevention certification classes widely across San Luis Obispo County so “as many people as possible” can be trained.
“The stigma needs to end,” she said.
How to support Hope with I.A.N.
The nonprofit schedyles other events, too.
On April 18 and 19, the Ernest Grace store in Atascadero planned to host a sidewalk sale with all proceeds going to support Hope with I.A.N. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, the boutique was set to host live music from Josh Rosenblum, shopping and street tacos for community members who want to come by and support the cause.
On June 27, the nonprofit will host its second annual moonlight sonata, an elegant evening gala with dinner from Etto Pasta Bar, live music and a silent auction. Tickets will go on sale online next week for $125 each and table reservations for eight people will also be available. To purchase tickets or become a sponsor, visit Hope with I.A.N’s website.
More permanently, Toshi 1.0 in Atascadero, the Strains’ favorite sushi restaurant, has the Ian roll on its menu. It was created by Ian’s close friend Chef Justin to honor Ian’s life. The restaurant has been supporting Hope with I.A.N. for a year. All profits from the roll will be donated directly to Hope with I.A.N.
Money raised by Hope with I.A.N. will go toward his family’s efforts to spread suicide awareness, resources and support in the county.
You can donate directly online at homewithian.com.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 988. You can also call the Central Coast Hotline at 800-783-0607 for 24-7 assistance. To learn the warning signs of suicide, visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 1:14 PM.
