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NAMI MN Sue Abderholden to retire as executive director after 24 years
NAMI MN Sue Abderholden to retire as executive director after 24 years

Yahoo

time02-05-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

NAMI MN Sue Abderholden to retire as executive director after 24 years

After 24 years in her role, National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota's executive director Sue Abderholden is retiring. Abderholden will remain in her role until Oct. 15, according to a release from the organization. The NAMI Minnesota of Directors will begin a leadership transition process in the next several months. It has formed a succession committee and retained the executive search firm Ballinger Leafblad, Inc. When Abderholden began with the organization in 2001, it had two and half staff members and a $160,000 budget. Since that time, it has grown to 37 staffers and is a $3 million organization. 'Sue Abderholden's leadership has been nothing short of transformational,' said Jessica Gourneau, president of the NAMI Minnesota Board of Directors, in a statement. 'She has led NAMI Minnesota with vision, heart, and an unwavering commitment to those living with mental illnesses and their families. Because of Sue, our organization has grown in reach, reputation, and impact. Her fierce advocacy at the legislature, her strategic partnerships across sectors, and her tireless work to create culturally responsive, person-centered care have set the gold standard for mental health advocacy.' Abderholden's advocacy has helped pass more than two dozen laws affecting education, healthcare, housing and criminal justice for people with mental illnesses, according to the organization. This has included advocating for laws requiring mental health training for teachers, getting mental health screenings for those entering jails, reforming the state's commitment laws to promote voluntary engagement in treatment, expanding crisis and early interventions services, the diversity of the workforce and strengthening mental health parity protections. She also worked to restrict the use of solitary confinement in prisons for people with mental illness. Abderholden's work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Minneapolis Health Department's Health Equity Award, Macalester College's Distinguished Citizen Award, the National NAMI Rona and Ken Purdy Award to End Discrimination, and multiple recognitions as one of Minnesota Physicians' '100 Most Influential Health Care Leaders.' In addition to her work with NAMI Minnesota, Abderholden also has taught about health and mental health policy at the University of Minnesota's School of Social Work and served on several state advisory committees and task forces, according to the University. 'It has been the honor of a lifetime to be part of this movement,' Abderholden said in a statement. 'The people who courageously shared their stories, the families who organized for change, and the advocates who never gave up — they are the reason for our success. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside so many incredible individuals to help build a better, more compassionate mental health system for Minnesota.' Wilder East Clinic opens on St. Paul's East Side Woman killed in St. Paul home, her 2-year-old found unharmed State fines Regions Hospital for improper medical waste disposal St. Paul police: 2nd grader said he brought gun to school to show friends Metro State University lockdown prompted by man firing shots at his mother

Health care advocates say House GOP's Medicaid cuts would harm children, people with disabilities
Health care advocates say House GOP's Medicaid cuts would harm children, people with disabilities

Yahoo

time20-02-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Health care advocates say House GOP's Medicaid cuts would harm children, people with disabilities

Sue Abderholden, executive director of NAMI Minnesota, talks about how proposed Medicaid cuts would impact people with mental illness. Photo by Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer. Health care advocates on Thursday raised an alarm over planned cuts to federal Medicaid spending, which currently helps provide care to 1.4 million low income and disabled Minnesotans. House Republicans and President Donald Trump are considering a range of cuts to Medicaid — known here as Medical Assistance — including reducing what the federal government pays to states. Last week, the U.S. House Budget Committee voted to seek at least $880 billion in spending cuts in programs overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which includes Medicaid. Republicans want to cut Medicaid and other programs to pay for more border enforcement, defense spending and tax cuts that would give the most substantial benefits to the highest incomes. In Minnesota, 650,000 children are enrolled in Medicaid, or nearly half of the total. Another 125,000 are people with disabilities. 'The size of the cuts being proposed in Congress make it impossible for people to not lose coverage and for covered services to not be eliminated,' said Tina Rucci, public policy director with The Arc Minnesota — an advocacy group for people with disabilities — during a Capitol press conference. Cuts to Medicaid would impact Minnesotans across the state. Dr. Justin Schafer, a psychiatry resident with HCMC who's on rotation in Bemidji, said the majority of patients he sees are covered by Medicaid. In Bemidji, Schafer said he mostly works with patients with opioid use disorder, who wouldn't be able to access life-saving medication without Medical Assistance. 'I'm really nervous,' Schafer said Thursday. U.S. House Republicans are also considering requiring enrollees to prove that they are working in order to access Medicaid, a move that critics say would add bureaucratic burdens to accessing care and have little impact because most enrollees already work. If the federal government cuts Medicaid funding and Minnesota wants to maintain care in the face of rapidly rising health care costs, state government would have to fill the gap. Minnesota is already facing a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, and additional state Medicaid spending would require tax increases or cuts to other priorities like public education, parks or transportation. 'We simply want to help people understand that Medicaid is something that makes our state stronger, safer and healthier,' Rucci said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

NAMIWalks Minnesota to raise mental illness awareness
NAMIWalks Minnesota to raise mental illness awareness

Yahoo

time08-02-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

NAMIWalks Minnesota to raise mental illness awareness

More than 4,000 people from around the state are expected to join in NAMIWalks Minnesota, a 5K walk to raise awareness about mental illnesses and celebrate hope on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m., at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. There will be live music, picnics, speakers, resource tables, a kid's tent, a tree of hope, a T-shirt contest and more. The walk supports the efforts of NAMI Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to provide education, support and advocacy for children and adults with mental illnesses and their families. For registration, including forming or joining a walk team, call 651-645-2948 or go to and click on the NAMIWalks logo.

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