NAMI hosted a stop in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, July 30, at Woodland Bank as part of its statewide Summer Listening Tour. Abderholden led a presentation on new legislation and policy updates on mental health matters. A full list of legislative outcomes on mental health matters can be found on NAMI\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n After the presentation, members of the community asked questions and shared their thoughts and experiences with mental health services. NAMI will use the input to determine how to advocate for mental health needs in state legislation.<\/p>\n Sue Abderholden, executive director of the Minnesota division of the National Alliance for Mental Illness, explains the changes to state legislation on mental health during the Grand Rapids stop on NAMI’s statewide 2025 Summer Listening Tour.<\/p>\n Some mental health care providers in attendance expressed concern about a lack of expert staffing and space for psychiatric services, particularly in the emergency room, where beds can be scarce and wait times are long, leading to some mental health patients being discharged when they still need help.<\/p>\n Lynn Cochran, a NAMI board member who has been involved with mental health services for 20 years, shared her concerns about some medical providers not seeing mental health as a medical issue.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there’s a really big improvement in mental health understanding and reducing stigma, helping people accept and get services earlier in their life,\u201d Cochran said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut there’s also still an underlying stigma that somehow it’s their fault, or somehow that somebody caused that for them, and that it’s not a medical service that they need.\u201d<\/p>\n Marian Barcus, president of the Grand Rapids affiliate of NAMI, said the organization has worked hard to raise awareness about mental illness and reduce stigma in the local community.<\/p>\n \u201cBut still, there is some apprehension about being with people who have mental illness and understanding that it is a mental illness,\u201d Barcus said. \u201cIt\u2019s not who that person is. It is an illness.\u201d<\/p>\n Attendees also expressed concerns with Itasca County using County-Based Purchasing for public health insurance under IMCare, citing IMCare ending its in-network contract<\/a> with Lakeview Behavioral Health in December 2023. County-Based Purchasing lets Minnesota counties run their own medical assistance programs, arranging and paying for local health care services for those enrolled.<\/p>\n Abderholden noted and addressed any concerns brought up for discussion, including worries about the broader mental health care system.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that the system is broken,\u201d Abderholden said. \u201cIt\u2019s never been built.\u201d<\/p>\n Those experiencing a mental health emergency are encouraged to call the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for assistance. Note that the Press 3 option specifically for LGBTQ+ individuals is no longer available at the national level.<\/p>\n Mental health and family<\/p>\n As the advocate of her 54-year-old daughter, Darrow Christensen,75, drove nearly an hour to attend the event.<\/p>\n Christensen\u2019s daughter has been in and out of facilities for her mental health since she was 14, facing difficulties getting the help and services she needs. At her daughter\u2019s request, Christensen holds power of attorney for her daughter, interacting with medical providers and government agencies on her behalf.<\/p>\n \u201cI love her,\u201d Christensen said. \u201cI’d stand in front of a moving train to save her. And I think I still have a chance to save her, and so I don’t dare stop.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the legal authority to do so, Christensen has frequently struggled to see her daughter\u2019s needs met and intervene for her. She said many medical providers and facility personnel have refused to listen to her or declined to share important health information because her daughter is an adult.<\/p>\n Resources on a table at the Grand Rapids stop on the Minnesota division of the National Alliance for Mental Illness’ statewide 2025 Summer Listening Tour.<\/p>\n Abderholden confirmed that, with the power of attorney, Christensen has the right to request assistance and services for her daughter and should have access to her daughter\u2019s medical information. Abderholden added that even without power of attorney, privacy law does not bar providers from sharing any information whatsoever with family and loved ones, only medical records.<\/p>\n In many cases, the families and loved ones of those struggling with mental health can help identify when and how they need care, Abderholden said. She gave the example of a woman who could tell by her husband\u2019s footsteps when he was about to go into a manic episode.<\/p>\n \u201cFamilies are the canaries in the coal mine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Christensen encouraged families to support their loved ones with mental illnesses and to watch and listen for signs when they are struggling.<\/p>\n \u201cI have friends and relatives who think \u2018[Christensen\u2019s daughter] made her bed. Let her sleep in it.\u2019 That’s not what mental illness is,\u201d she said. \u201cThey don’t make their own beds. They shouldn’t be sleeping in it. They need help and support, and that first love and support should come from their family.\u201d<\/p>\n Medicaid and Medicare cuts<\/p>\n July 30 marked the 60th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, which received more than $1 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years as part of President Donald Trump\u2019s Big Beautiful Bill<\/a>. The cuts will go into effect in December 2026, after the midterm elections.<\/p>\n At the NAMI event, Abderholden explained how the cuts would devastate Medicaid and Medicare, especially when it comes to covering mental healthcare.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not cutting it by saying, \u2018We\u2019re going to really focus on fraud and abuse,\u2019 which is done by providers and not individuals,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re doing it because people are going to lose their insurance. That\u2019s how they\u2019re saving a trillion dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n About 16 million people will lose health coverage by 2034, according to estimates<\/a> from the Congressional Budget Office. That includes about 140,000 Minnesotans, according to the state Department of Human Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n Roughly 40% of non-elderly adults on Medicaid have a mental health condition or a substance use disorder, and one in three people with mental illness rely on Medicaid, according to NAMI<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPrivate insurance doesn\u2019t cover some of the treatment and services that people with mental illnesses actually need,\u201d Abderholden said. \u201cSo, I think we will see more people ending up in crisis and ending up in jail, ending up in the emergency room, and we might see the suicide rate increase as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Between work requirements and eligibility checks every six months, counties will have too much paperwork to submit to the state system on time, leaving many who are eligible uninsured, Abderholden said. She added that sudden mental health emergencies, especially first-time emergencies, may keep people from being able to work at that moment, preventing them from accessing Medicaid when they need it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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