cue. What brought you to the NAMI Minnesota leadership role?
smith: It starts with a mission, right? I’m really passionate about the mission. It affects so many people. I had no intention of leaving Hearth Connection… (where) we really doubled down on the important work of supportive housing. That means providing the housing and services that people who have struggled with mental illness for a long time really need. Through that process, I realized what an opportunity there was to apply that experience to policymaking, both as a leading advocate and in nonprofit leadership with roots in my public service background (at NAMI Minnesota). Housing, homelessness, food security, corrections and health care. Mental health is at the core of all of this. But it’s also a personal experience and I’ve struggled with it myself.
cue. Do you want to say more? Sue Abderholden has been open about her family’s struggles with mental illness. This makes her a very trustworthy yet approachable advocate.
smith: I have suffered from cyclothymia, which is like a mild form of bipolar disorder, but I never understood that this was not normal. It was my wife who encouraged me to look into it. That was two years ago and I was just exploring the situation. For much of my teenage and adult years. Taking medication to help manage it was life-changing. It has made me a better husband and father. It has made me more confident and comfortable in my own skin too.
In the end, if one of the things I can accomplish through my story is to help more people engage in conversations so that they feel more comfortable getting the help they need, I would be very proud of that.
cue. As Executive Director of NAMI Minnesota, you will lead an organization that is a driving force at the state Capitol and a resource across the state. Does taking on a new role feel daunting? And what can you say to those worried about Abderholden’s departure?
