Mental Health Connect

04/01/2026

Together We're Cultivating Hope in Community!

"Stories of Hope" Breakfast
Thursday, May 7, 2026
8:00-9:00 am | Doors open at 7:00 am
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis

We're thrilled to announce our Keynote Speakers for this year's breakfast!
Pastor Ingrid Arneson Rasmussen, Holy Trinity Lutheran in Minneapolis
Pastor Hierald Osorto, San Pablo Lutheran in St. Paul

Get ready to feel inspired together! This year we lift up the collective practice of hope and the ways we build resilience in community. Come early for coffee, conversation, and healing touch with Bethlehem’s healing touch practitioners!

Register for your tables and tickets today! https://shorturl.at/tP5nq
$25 Individual Ticket
$150 8-Person Table
$10 Livestream & Recording

Questions? Please reach out to Rachel Henderson at leadnavigator@mhconnect.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

03/20/2026

We're excited to welcome a new member faith community to the Mental Health Connect Collaborative--Memorial Lutheran Church in Afton, MN! We're grateful for your partnership. https://www.memoriallutheran.org/

03/18/2026

Understanding Our Body's Reaction to Trauma
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | 6:00 -8:00 pm
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community

The physical body holds trauma within it. What’s happened in Minnesota in recent months has been traumatizing to individuals as well as entire communities and we need to find effective ways to cope. This timely program will explore practical strategies you can use to address the trauma your body holds and improve your well-being.

-Become familiar with the trauma patterns of Victim, Bully, Bystander or Savior so that you can recognize your own response pattern to reduce the impacts of trauma on your body.
-Learn how to practice present moment awareness for yourself and to tell your body that it’s okay.
-Identify steps – even small ones – you can authentically take to build community and supportive connections.
-Know how to respond these challenging times with as many inner resources as possible.

Presenter: Cara L. Carlson, Ph.D., MSW, LICSW, RYT-200, EMDR Certified, Director, Anam Cara Therapies, Minneapolis

Register by contacting JP at jfitzgibbons@stjoan.com.

03/10/2026

Get ready to feel inspired and register today for the 2026 Stories of Hope Breakfast!

Thursday, May 7, 2026
8:00-9:00 am
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis

This year we lift up the collective practice of hope and the ways we build resilience in community. Enjoy delightful music, savor a delicious breakfast, and mingle with fellow community members.

Individual tickets: $25
Tables (8 seats): $150
Online Livestream & Recording Access: $10

Let’s come together to hold hope and support one other! Doors open at 7:00 for coffee and conversation.
Register today at https://shorturl.at/EawWS.

Questions? Please reach out to Rachel Henderson at leadnavigator@mhconnect.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

03/09/2026

Collaborative members--while in-person attendance registration for this event closed on Saturday, if you haven't already registered you can still join us tomorrow night ONLINE. Link in the comments.

Responding to an Overdose with naloxone/Narcan

Tuesday, March 10, 2026
7:00 - 8:30 pm

When someone is overdosing on an opioid, time is of the essence. You don’t have to be a licensed health care professional to administer this safe and effective lifesaving medication when witnessing this type of an emergency. This program is designed to equip laypersons with the knowledge and skills necessary to save a life.

- Learn how to recognize an opioid overdose.

- Understand what naloxone/Narcan is and how it works.

- Know how to properly administer naloxone to someone experiencing an overdose.

- Become familiar with Steve’s Law/MN’s Good Samaritan and Naloxone Law.

PRESENTER: Meghan Walsh, Overdose Prevention Specialist, Steve Rummler HOPE Network, St. Paul

Arrangements will be made after the program to get a free kit to individuals participating via Zoom and after the program ends.

02/20/2026

Walking With the Latino/a Communities: Faith, Stress, and Behavioral Health in a Time of Change
Wednesday, February 25 | 12:00 -1:00 pm

This 60-minute workshop equips faith leaders to recognize the unique behavioral health challenges facing Latino/a communities today, including the effects of immigration policies, discrimination, and economic strain on individuals and families.

Participants explore how these stressors intersect with substance use and other mental health concerns, and learn culturally responsive, faith-informed strategies to reduce stigma, foster trust, and connect congregants to appropriate care.

Through brief teachings and guided discussion, leaders will gain practical tools to support vulnerable Latino congregants while avoiding common misunderstandings and spiritualizing of mental health struggles.

Presenter: Dr. Ana L. Chavez-Mancillas, DSW, MSW, DVAT, DVFC Senior Director National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA)

Registration link in comments.

02/16/2026

A great presentation with Sandy McCurran tomorrow night! Registration requested--link in the comments and on our website.

Breaking through Loneliness
Tuesday, February 17 | 6:00-8:00 pm
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
4100 Lyndale Ave S in Minneapolis
This is part two of a two-part mini-series on loneliness.

In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., called loneliness a public health epidemic: “Loneliness is a normal part of the human experience… But prolonged loneliness and disconnection can be harmful to our health. It's time we address this issue to improve our well-being.” This program will explore strategies for improving our wellbeing while minimizing feelings of loneliness.

This event is part of the “Building Hope & Healing in Uncertain Times” series offered by the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community and Bethlehem Lutheran Church-Twin Cities. Each evening’s schedule starts with a light supper at 6:00 pm, followed by the educational program from 6:30 – 8:00 pm, which includes question-and-answer time . A small donation of $5 is suggested to go towards the cost of the meal. Pre-registration is requested.

02/06/2026

The staff of Mental Health Connect joins NAMI Minnesota and countless other mental health and community organizations in calling for ICE to leave Minnesota. ICE's presence in Minnesota is an assault on our community mental health, and we are seeing the heartbreaking impacts every day. As NAMI Minnesota has shared, helplines are experiencing a significant increase in calls, children are increasingly showing signs of trauma at home and school, and many with serious mental illness are experiencing worsening symptoms and acute crisis. This is in addition to the persistent fear and anxiety many of us in the broader community feel every day as a result of ICE's presence.

We are grateful for NAMI Minnesota's leadership and care at this critical time in our community. In the comments below, you'll find NAMI-MN's Resources for Supporting Community during ICE Operations.

We are heartbroken. For families living in fear under ongoing operations—and for those supporting these families—the emotional and mental trauma is deep and compounded by repeated aggression, intimidation, and harassment. We call for ICE to leave so we can begin to heal, feel safe again, and live without the constant threat of violence.

We thank our supporters who spoke out, organized, and advocated alongside NAMI Minnesota and other organizations to help make this possible.

Find a variety of resources to support the mental health of our community here: https://namimn.org/ice/

02/06/2026

We know the need is so great now. Take care of yourselves, and know that help is here.

02/02/2026

We love hearing about the projects our collaborative congregations invest in to support the well-being of their members and neighbors! Thank you to Bob Englund from Creekside United Church of Christ for sharing their story.

"Creekside’s Ministry of Addiction Recovery Support, (MARS), is grateful to provide a free, custom-designed Harm Reduction Box from SixSpeed Advertising Agency. It was installed near the bus stop bench in the southeast corner of our parking lot at the intersection of Stevens and Diamond Lake Road, directly north of the Russian Art Museum.

The outdoor Box has free Naloxone/Narcan and Fentanyl testing strips available 24/7 to anyone in need. We ask that recipients take only what they need to stay safe. Naloxone/Narcan is a completely harmless medication – even to small children and infants. Its sole purpose is to reverse opioid overdose (i.e., fentanyl, he**in or excessive use of prescribed opioid medication).

Our mission is to save lives, not to pass judgement on those suffering from addiction. Creekside is in a Narcan 'desert'. The closest other source for these supplies is Powderhorn Park or Southdale area."

If your congregation would like to share a project you've been working on, we would love to hear from you! Email Executive Director of Mental Health Connect Rev. Hannah Campbell Gustafson at hannah@mhconnect.org.

01/27/2026

I Am Safe: Mind-Body Practices for Promoting Mental Health
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
7:00 -8:30 pm
PLEASE NOTE: This event is via Zoom only.

In the midst of today’s public mental health crisis—and with many communities facing reduced access to traditional supports—sharing simple, accessible mind-body coping skills is an act of community care. Strengthen your ability to support mental well-being in your community using practical, science-backed mind-body strategies.

Explore the neuroscience and physiology behind mind-body practices and why they effectively support nervous system regulation.

Understand how breathing techniques, gentle stretching, and relaxation practices reduce stress, release tension, and support emotional balance.

Practice simple, accessible strategies to use throughout the day to manage stress and promote mental health.

Know how to develop an action plan for sharing mind-body skills that will improve the mental well-being of yourself, your family, and others.

PRESENTER: Chrissy Mignogna, Director of Education and Lead Trainer, movemindfully, St. Paul and Owner, Winged Heart Yoga, St. Paul

01/06/2026

We've got a wonderful lineup of Collaborative Education events in store for 2026! Join us for our January Collaborative Education meeting next Tuesday on Zoom.

A Layperson's Guide to Understanding Trauma Disorders
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
7:00 -8:30 pm
Please Note: This session will be via Zoom only.
(Link on our website at mhconnect.org/find-mhc)

It seems like today’s news is full of traumatic events - school shootings, natural disasters, destroyed homeless encampments, ICE raids, domestic abuse, car accidents, evictions, etc., etc. But what about the individuals who experience those events and the toll they take on one’s mental health? This program will explore trauma and what a layperson needs to know to be a caring other to someone with a trauma disorder.

Understand how trauma is defined by mental health professionals, how widespread the disorder is among the general population and its most common causes besides traumatic events.

Learn how to identify the symptoms of trauma and how they are similar to or different from other forms of mental illness.

Become familiar with the treatment forms practiced by mental health professionals and which ones are showing promise.

Take away resources as well as ideas for what you as a caring person can do to help.

PRESENTER: Sydney Pierce, MA, LPCC, Outpatient Therapist, Minnesota Mental Health Clinics, Eagan