Outgoing DHS Commissioner Piper reflects on challenges, accomplishments
Piper said she also hopes that the next commissioner will be a person who “values the dignity of every person, regardless of what they have to offer back to society.”
Mental Health & Addiction
Cut with care: Confetti maker provides jobs for women in addiction treatment
What makes Leonetti Confetti unique is that all of the company’s paid employees are women in recovery from addiction. Almost all are clients of Wayside Recovery Center.
Suburban shelter Hope House gives homeless teens a chance to reset their lives
The emergency shelter for teens, located in Chanhassen, holds up to six kids per night. The residents, teens between the ages of 14 and 19, can stay for up to 90 days.
First Steps to Healthy Babies: Program aims to reduce opioid-affected births at rural hospitals
The staff at Sanford Bemidji were so pleased with the First Steps results that they worked to make the program available to other rural hospitals.
Advocates address deep distrust of mental health care among African-Americans
Only one in three African-Americans who need mental health care receives it, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
Olympian Jessie Diggins opens up about her eating disorder, hoping to inspire others to get help
“This struggle was very hard for me,” Diggins said. “It made me feel awesome to be able to overcome my eating disorder and succeed as an athlete.”
Minnesota Recovery Corps pilots ‘people power’ approach to tackling the addiction crisis
For many people, an important part of recovery from addiction is giving back to the community through volunteer service.
For some patients, spinal cord stimulation offers a non-addictive option for pain relief
Spinal cord stimulation is an option for people who have tried other methods of treatment for their pain but have not found significant relief, said Dr. Peter Stiles.
They’re everywhere: Thousands of Hazelden Betty Ford graduates call the Twin Cities home
“The healing community that exists here it is really wide and deep,” said John R. Engebreth, Hazelden Betty Ford director of clinical operations for St. Paul, Chaska and Maple Grove.
Common roots: Shared life experience strengthens the student-therapist relationship
Marco Murrieta, a school-based therapist at Wellstone International High School, has a personal story that mirrors that of the students he counsels.
To honor his father’s legacy, an unlikely advocate focuses on suicide prevention
The LIVIN Foundation will host the Get Busy LIVIN Music Festival on Sept. 22 from 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at ERX Motor Park in Elk River.
Daylong State Fair event on Aug. 27 aims to normalize conversation about mental health
“We want this to be an uplifting, uniting experience. Everyone has mental health, good or bad. We want to focus on promoting good mental health,” said Sue Abderholden of NAMI-Minnesota.
Gum, yoga, keeping busy: New tobacco ban eased by supports at two MN behavioral health nonprofits
“We’ve done a lot of treatment interventions for them, including forming groups to help people learn coping techniques other than using tobacco,” said Ann Henderson of Seward CSP.
New approach to addiction interventions aims to be less painful — and more effective
People who have lived through traditional confrontation-style interventions are more likely to enter addiction treatment with a chip on their shoulder.
Animals can provide emotional support and service, but the two jobs are distinct
In recent years, the use of emotional support animals (ESAs) has gained popularity among people living with mental illness, and, to some degree, acceptance from lawmakers in many states, including Minnesota.
With ‘Nourish’ series, local restaurateurs hope to address industry-wide addiction and trauma
Lynhall owner Anne Spaeth realized that her own professional background gave her a deeper understanding of her employees’ struggles. She had worked as an assistant county attorney and as a child protection advocate.
With the Voices Heard Choir, singers with serious mental illness tell their story
Some people, including members of Voices Heard Choir, say that they find their auditory hallucinations are quieted when they sing.
Under the Boardwalk by Voices Heard Choir
Hearing Voices Choir practicing “Under the Boardwalk” at Andrew Residence in Minneapolis.
‘A ray of hope’: At Perspectives, Yolanda Farris addressed her trauma and addiction — and now helps others
Supporting mothers and their children is the name of the game at Perspectives, said President and CEO Jeannie Seeley-Smith.
People power: People Incorporated founder Rev. Harry Maghakian lived a life focused on others
“No matter where we were, my dad always, and I mean always, asked the person who was helping us their story. He was interested, authentically interested,” said his daughter, Sally Maghakian O’Keefe.