Mental illness is an issue that “knows no class, no gender, no race, no geography,” said Joe Linstroth, executive director of Stateside and host of Wednesday night’s Issues & Ale event.
He asked the audience – a full house at Jolly Pumpkin Dexter’s brewery – to raise their hands if they have a personal connection to mental health or mental illness. Most every hand went up.
The event focused on the state of mental health in Michigan, and joining Linstroth to discuss the issues were the following panelists:
- Bob Sheehan, CEO of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan
- Kevin Fischer, executive director of NAMI Michigan – the National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Jane Shank, executive director of the Association for Children’s Mental Health
- Judge Milton Mack, Michigan’s State Court Administrator
Listen above to hear the panel discuss why the mental health system in Michigan, and across the country, remains “frustrating” for so many, what resources are available now for individuals and families, and what gives panelists hope that the system will improve into the future.
To learn more about the state of mental health in Michigan, check out Stateside's ongoing Minding Michigan series.
For information on upcoming Issues & Ale events, click here.
