Mental Health Minnesota Affiliates with MHA

Mental Health America (MHA) is pleased to announce that Mental Health Minnesota—the state’s first mental health advocacy and education organization—has formally affiliated with MHA.

Based in St. Paul, Mental Health Minnesota’s mission is to enhance mental health, promote individual empowerment, and increase access to treatment and services for persons with mental illness. Mental Health Minnesota raises awareness of mental health issues and offer programs and resources to individuals, families, employers, and youth.

“We are excited to welcome Mental Health Minnesota as a part of our national affiliate network,” said Paul Gionfriddo, president and CEO of Mental Health America. “They have long been leaders in Minnesota in prevention, early intervention, services integration, and peer-supported recovery services, and their work is a model for all.”

Additional programs and services at Mental Health Minnesota include the Minnesota Warmline, a safe and secure phone line for people working on their mental health recovery across the state of Minnesota. Mental Health Minnesota’s Peer Advocacy Service empowers people living with a mental illness to develop self-advocacy skills to overcome barriers. The Mental Health Ambassador Program works to engage people with a lived mental health experience in advocacy efforts throughout Minnesota, as well as spread the message of hope, recovery and wellness. Mental Health Minnesota uses a peer-to-peer approach in all services offered. Certified Peer Specialists are hired exclusively for both the Warmline and Peer Advocacy programs.

"We are excited about our new affiliation with Mental Health America,” says Shannah Mulvihill, Executive Director for Mental Health Minnesota. “We believe this will be a great step for our organization. We look forward to building on our 78 years of organizational history and success here in Minnesota by joining a national movement in mental health."

As an affiliate of MHA, Mental Health Minnesota will join a network of over 200 affiliates nationwide, dedicated to providing public education, information and referral, support groups, rehabilitation services as well as socialization and housing services to those confronting mental health problems and their loved ones. MHA affiliates bring together mental health consumers, parents, advocates and service providers for collaboration and action to inform, support and enable mental wellness, and emphasizes recovery from mental illness.

As their national association, MHA provides training, toolkits and technical assistance to affiliates on a variety of issues including implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), mental health parity advocacy, and public education about mental health issues and wellness strategies. MHA offers affiliates vital assistance on operational issues as well, such as board development, marketing strategies, fundraising plans and program implementation. 

“There is still much to be done on both the local and national level to ensure people with mental illnesses get the help that they need,” concluded Gionfriddo. “Together, MHA and our incredible affiliates around the country will continue our commitment to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans.”