The day I turned in my master’s thesis, I woke up early. I curled my hair and applied a generous coat of makeup — even making time for contouring and setting spray. I posed for pictures with a school friend; we beamed, holding our freshly printed and bound 100-page...
People with mental illness are significantly overrepresented in our nation’s jails and prisons. Each year, roughly two million people with serious mental illness are booked into jail. Nearly 2 in 5 individuals in state and federal prisons—and 44% of those in local...
My journey with mental health didn’t just shape my perspective; it led me to this work. As Director of Mental Health Equity Innovation at NAMI, I bring both professional expertise and personal lived experience to the fight for mental health equity. I know firsthand...
My name is Madeline Bohlman. I’m 22 years old and I recently graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. My degree in Marketing from the Sam Walton School of Business has led to my current position as a Merchandising Senior Analyst at Walmart in nearby...
My daily work keeps me busy with priorities focused on developing strategies and initiatives launching and commercializing holistic therapies that have vast potential to impact lives in the mental health space. Healthcare has always been endlessly fascinating to me,...
I grew up in an inner-city community in San Diego, California, called “Southeast.” This area has always been known for crime, drugs and — most notably — gangs. Despite my family’s well-intentioned efforts to keep me away from gangs, the gang culture still pulled me...
