Mental illness is an issue that is relevant to nearly all of us as business owners, family members, and friends. At SCCA’s January meeting, we were fortunate to have the time to consider the importance of mental illness with a visit from Sue Abderholden of NAMI MN.

In addition to providing information about the definition of mental illness, its prevalence in modern American society, and the ways in which we can fight the stigma associated with mental conditions, the presentation gave business owners a sense of what they can do to work with employees who do suffer from these conditions. NAMI emphasizes the importance of full disclosure, patience, and support for employees, and also likes to highlight the large and growing number of very successful people who are living with conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The presentation gave us a sense of what we can do to combat stigma and support those who need it, and we can provide the presentation in full to anyone who requests it.

To learn more about NAMI and the causes they work on, click here to visit their website. They will also host a NAMI Walks event on September 28th at Minnehaha Falls, an event which was attended by more than 4,000 people last year. Many thanks to Sue Abderholden for presenting!