Finding a nonprofit board that fits

Over the last five years as a Sopris Sun freelance reporter, I’ve written many articles on mental health. Early in my reporting, I found a steady and reliable mental health advocacy source with Mental Health Colorado, a non-governmental, nonprofit organization based in Denver that, according to their website, “advocates for every Coloradan who experiences a mental health or substance use condition each year. We engage policymakers, providers, the public, and the press to promote mental well-being, ensure equitable access to mental health and substance use care, and end discrimination.”

I grew up witnessing family members and friends and experienced my own struggles with mental health issues and dealing with the stigma that surrounds that subject, so last month, when an email newsletter from Mental Health Colorado announced that they were seeking members for Mental Health Colorado’s “Experts by Experience” advisory committee, I completed the application and will begin serving on the statewide committee this month.