NEXT AVENUE - SPECIAL SECTION
A Former State Lawmaker Wants to Change the Mental Health System By Laura McCallum
Former Minnesota lawmaker Mindy Greiling hopes her new book will lead to systemic change across the country. In "Fix What You Can: Schizophrenia and a Lawmaker's Fight for Her Son," Greiling tells the story of trying to get care for her son Jim, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in his early twenties (he's now 43). She discovered the gaps in the system, pushed for more mental health funding and helped found the nation's first state bipartisan mental health caucus.
Greiling served in the Minnesota House for 20 years as a Democrat from Roseville.
Next Avenue: You wrote about trying to get help for Jim while you were a state legislator. You were trying to change the system and deal with your son's illness. Why write the book now? Mindy Greiling: When I left the Legislature, I no longer had a voice in the mental health arena. I could work with my legislators, I could work through NAMI, (National Alliance on Mental Illness), but I missed having a voice. When I was invited to join a memoir group at the Loft Literary Center, I quickly felt that I was meant to write this book. I'd always been a writer and kept a journal. So I had places to go back and help jog my memory. It also then gave me a chance to continue stronger advocacy. There's something that gives you a certain gravitas if you've written a book. And I'm finding that with this book, I'm invited to go places besides Minnesota and talk about the mental health system.
Read the full story: A Former State Lawmaker Wants to Change the Mental Health System at NextAvenue.org
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