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Empowering Mental Health in Minnesota: The Impact of Legislative Policy on IRTS and ACT Services

Empowering Mental Health in Minnesota: The Impact of Legislative Policy on IRTS and ACT Services

The Minnesota Legislature, like all state legislatures, has the responsibility and authority to enact laws, shape policies and rulemaking, and unlock funding to influence mental health care. With Minnesota currently ranking 28th in the nation when it comes to the prevalence of mental illness and rates of access to care, according to Mental Health America, it’s important to understand why the Legislature’s work matters to our work and what we can do to improve mental health care services and access. Let’s look at five marquee mental health programs and how they’re connected to the work of the Minnesota Legislature:

Introducing Our New CEO

Introducing Our New CEO

Today marks a new chapter in our journey of empowering people living with mental illness and/or experiencing long-term homelessness. After an extensive and rigorous selection process, Trish Thacker will be stepping into her new role as CEO of Guild on March 18th. 

When Chronic Pain Becomes Too Much: Understanding the Link Between Physical and Mental Health

When Chronic Pain Becomes Too Much: Understanding the Link Between Physical and Mental Health

It’s something we’ve all experienced before: that sluggish, exhausted, “don’t want to get out of bed this morning” feeling. Maybe you had a late night or are fighting off a cold. Maybe it’s just the dreary weather. You have things to do, though, so you drag yourself up and start your day. For many people, this kind of morning is the best they will ever feel … the most they could hope for from their day. This is what it’s like living with physical illness and chronic pain, and they can have a significantly negative effect on a person’s mental health.

2024 Legislative Priorities: Guild’s Battle for Mental Health System Transformation

2024 Legislative Priorities: Guild’s Battle for Mental Health System Transformation

Each passing year, our legislative focus remains steadfast on transforming our mental health and housing support systems into a comprehensive spectrum of care. Our aim is to make this continuum accessible and sustainable for the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. We envision a scenario where Minnesotans facing mental health challenges or homelessness can access the right resources at the right time. As we prepare for the upcoming legislative session in 2024, three key system changes stand out as vital for the welfare of those we serve and the success of our mission.

A Legacy of Giving: The O’Gara Family

A Legacy of Giving: The O’Gara Family

When we broke ground on our new Crisis and Recovery Center in West Saint Paul on October 3, 2023, we did so with backing from dozens of companies and individuals in the public and private sector as well as several other generous donors. One of these donors was the O’Gara family, who made the largest single donation in Guild history to furnish and operationalize the center’s first year. 

Setting Your New Year’s Resolution: Keep, Transform, Eliminate

Setting Your New Year’s Resolution: Keep, Transform, Eliminate

New Year’s resolutions can be a great opportunity to go into the post-holiday season ready for positive change, but it’s important to be mindful when setting your goals. If you choose a resolution that’s especially difficult to achieve or isn’t fully in your control, you run the risk of disappointing yourself and feeling down as you go into the new year. There’s a reason why nearly half of people who make New Year’s resolutions break them by the end of January! 

Elevating Voices: Tina

Elevating Voices: Tina

As a kid, Tina loved coloring, sports, and going to the arcade. Her curiosity and sense of adventure earned her the nickname “Curious George” from her family and loved ones. Most of all, Tina remembers that when she was happy, her joy could not be contained. But when she was mad, she got really mad.

Elevating Voices: Laura

Elevating Voices: Laura

Many people living with mental illness can point to a time in their lives before struggle, before heartache … a time when it felt like everything was going their way and nothing could go wrong. For our client Laura, that “before” time included a marriage of nearly a decade to her high school sweetheart and being a stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children.

Elevating Voices: Sara

Elevating Voices: Sara

As we know here at Guild, mental health recovery is rarely linear. It’s more often a roller coaster of ups and downs, highs and lows, ebbs and flows. The same was true for our client Sara’s experience. 

The Importance of Giving Gratitude

The Importance of Giving Gratitude

Practicing gratitude can make you feel happier and less stressed. Even though each person’s health and care are different, research has found that besides reducing stress, gratitude can also help reduce feelings of sadness, worry, problems with long-lasting pain, and the chances of getting sick. To see why gratitude can be so important, our clients are the experts. One of our clients, Maxine, took a moment to share her wisdom.

Social Anxiety: Helping Everyone During the Holidays

Social Anxiety: Helping Everyone During the Holidays

The holiday season is here, and with it comes parties, work events, community gatherings, and family get-togethers. These can be exciting for many people, but for some, it can be tough to enter a crowded room, talk to new people, or deal with family, travel, or gifts. The reality is that instead of it being the most wonderful time of year, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, sadness, or even both.

Breaking Ground, Breaking Down Barriers in West St. Paul

Breaking Ground, Breaking Down Barriers in West St. Paul

Seasonal Depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a disorder that causes changes in mood with the changing seasons. SAD is classified as a type of major depressive disorder that often gets worse in the fall and winter.

Seasonal Depression: 7 Things to Do as the Weather Changes

Seasonal Depression: 7 Things to Do as the Weather Changes

Seasonal Depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a disorder that causes changes in mood with the changing seasons. SAD is classified as a type of major depressive disorder that often gets worse in the fall and winter.