This episode, first released in 2021, is a reminder that Mental Health Awareness Month requires all of us to tell our stories. We checked back in with Mindy and learned that, even though she is now retired, she continues to advocate for reforms in mental health, policy, and affordable housing. “I love being retired; I can activate for anything I want.” She is married for 55 years and retired for sixteen. Her son continues to receive the help he needs.
“There is no way we are going to have a better mental health system if we don’t tell our stories.”
Mindy was a state legislator (Minnesota’s House of Representatives, 1993-2013) when her son Jim’s first psychotic episode manifested itself in a delusion demanding he kill her. Her seat at the table helped her to change the policies that would have barred her from saving his life. She first had to overcome her fear that Jim would be like her beloved grandmother who disappeared into a mental hospital when she was 10. Mindy was determined not to let this happen and is responsible for these reforms:
· Founded the nation’s first bipartisan state mental health caucus, focusing on raising awareness, funding, and policy reform Marshall Independent+1.
· Reformed hospital release procedures and introduced legislation allowing earlier intervention for people in crisis who don’t recognize they are ill Access Press.
· Advocated for mental health issues in areas such as the criminal justice system, employment, and children’s health
Her podcast, Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches, is a frank account by three mothers who share what it is like to live in a family where schizoid-affective disorder affects every family dynamic.
Contact Information:
Greiling, M. (2020). Fix What You Can: Schizophrenia and a Lawmaker’s Fight for Her Son. University of Minnesota Press.
