Therapist and advocate True Thao focuses on the mental health of Minnesota’s refugee communities
Thao recently received an Outstanding Refugee Award from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Mental Health & Addiction
MinnPost’s Mental Health & Addiction coverage seeks to shine a light on issues that affect a huge number of Minnesota families yet are often ignored by the media, with author Andy Steiner writing stories related to mental health, addiction and the complex relationship between the two.
House of Charity generously supports MinnPost’s Mental Health & Addiction coverage; learn why
In a new book, former state Rep. Mindy Greiling talks about her son’s schizophrenia — and her mental health advocacy
After her son’s diagnosis, Greiling said, “I started working on mental health legislation wherever I encountered it.”
COVID-19 forced Minnesota’s reluctant mental health providers to try telemedicine. Now there’s no going back.
While some providers and patients may prefer to meet face-to-face, too many have experienced for themselves the convenience of online appointments to ever shut down that option.
U of M research team hopes to develop an implantable device to treat mental illness — thanks to a $6.6 million grant
The device, to be designed and developed by scientists at the U of M Medical School, may be able to help treat mental illnesses like depression and PTSD.
Faced with his wife’s late-onset mental illness, author penned an open, heartfelt memoir
Jeff Zuckerman and his wife, Leah, had been married for 30 years when Leah’s late-onset bipolar disorder upended their ordinary, happy lives.
John Engebreth: Overdose rise is ‘the third wave of the opioid epidemic’
“We saw an 18 percent increase nationwide in overdoses in March, a 29 percent increase in April and a 42 percent increase in May,” said Engebreth, who heads Minnesota Outpatient Services at Hazelden-Betty Ford.
‘There’s just something about being together’: In the age of COVID, Interact Center maintains community for its artists
“We decided to offer a series of virtual online classes,” said founder/Executive Director Jeanne Calvit. “We didn’t want anyone to get bored or feel isolated. We created a Zoom community, and the response from our artists was immediate and enthusiastic.”
Through woman-centered peer support, The Hive aims to make mental health part of the conversation
“I want to show people you can still live a beautiful life even with the greatest challenges,” said Heather Boll, a certified peer support specialist.
Culturally specific treatment programs help people of color achieve, maintain sobriety
Such programs often have higher success rates with members of minority populations, who frequently struggle to reach and maintain sobriety using traditional treatment programs.
Avatar-based suicide-prevention program now available for Minnesota educators
Thanks to funding provided by the Minnesota Legislature, the program is available free of charge to all schools in the state.
Telehealth hubs offer care options for people living on the edge of the virtual world
The idea of the hubs, Dr. Rich Levine explained, is getting care where it is needed to the people who need it.
Andrea Jenkins: ‘Culturally embedded racism impacts every part of your body and mind’
In an extended Q&A, Jenkins talks about her work on the City Council, her hopes for the future and the ways she looks after her own mental health.
‘We become their family’: Mission Nursing Home cares for men with nowhere to turn
Mission Nursing Home is a skilled nursing facility in Plymouth for men who have struggled with addiction, alcoholism and mental illness.
Kristi K. Phillips: In small towns, ‘We’re still not comfortable talking about our mental health’
“The stressors of life have had a devastating impact on farmers and farm families,” Philips said. “In rural communities, we’re seeing higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide. It’s a disturbing trend.”
With small grants, Pink Cloud Foundation helps recipients take the next step in recovery
The Pink Cloud Foundation is a Twin Cities-based nonprofit that pays sober deposits for people facing financial hardship.
With COVID Cares phone line, Minnesota mental health professionals offer support in time of crisis
COVID Cares Support Service is a statewide phone line offering free, anonymous support for people experiencing stress and anxiety; it’s staffed by a volunteer team of licensed mental health professionals.
With IGF Kids, Irreducible Grace Foundation hopes to teach children key self-care strategies
The coronavirus altered their plans. The group decided to produce a series of videos demonstrating the key tools that they teach. They called the series, which they posted on YouTube, “Finding the Pause.”
‘I got some hope’: Face It Foundation provides peer support for men battling depression
Face It, founded in 2009, was built on the idea that the support of other men is key to helping men understand and recover from depression and reduce the rate of male suicide.
Sue Hoyt: Child-protection workers fear for kids’ well-being during COVID lockdown
In a Q&A, Hoyt talks about how societal stressors can take a toll on children’s safety, how a lack of in-person connection reduces child-welfare reports and the role that concerned adults can play in children’s lives.
Retooling to meet COVID-era limitations, Fidgety Fairy Tales releases ‘Chicken Little’ on video
Fidgety Fairy Tales, a traveling children’s acting troupe sponsored by the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health, performs well-loved stories with a mental health twist.
