14th Annual Day at Home Breaks Attendance Record!

A record breaking 172 people gathered at the Broadway Ballroom Event Center in Alexandria recently to discuss issues surrounding mental health services in Minnesota and in the five-county region. Attendees had the privilege of listening to and interacting with keynote speakers Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker as they discussed the highly publicized kidnapping case of Jacob Wetterling. Included in the discussion was Minnesota State Representative Mary Franson (12B) and Sue Abderholden, Executive Director of MN NAMI. They spent the morning discussing the issues with attendees and listening to the personal stories of individuals whose lives have been affected, in some way, by mental illness. 

The “14th Annual Day at Home in Region 4” event was sponsored by the Region 4 South Adult Mental Health Consortium. The annual event is designed to bring legislators and their constituents together to engage in constructive dialogue on mental health issues, as well as put a personal face on mental illness in the region. The event also provides a forum to educate people involved with the mental health system on how to effectively interact with their legislators.

Watch the Event Here

The entire event is viewable by clicking on the link below.

WATCH FULL VIDEO

Session I

Kesha Anderson-Trinka, Coordinator of the Region 4 South Adult Mental Health Consortium, gave opening remarks and introduced keynote speakers Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker. Wetterling and Baker co-authored the book Dear Jacob, a telling of the Wetterling family’s journey through tragedy and healing following the abduction of Patty’s son Jacob in 1989.  Jacob’s disappearance led to a decades-long investigation and ultimately to major reforms in child safety and sex-offender registration laws in the U.S. 

Session 2

Sue Abderholden, Executive Director of National Alliance on Mental Illness – Minnesota, gave an update report on the latest progress being made in the legislature regarding mental health funding and programs. Abderholden moderated a dialogue with Minnesota State Representative Mary Franson (R – Alexandria). In addition, numerous individuals shared their personal stories and experiences with mental illness.