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Additional Resources

 
Diverse Friendship

I’m Feeling Alienated from My Black Friends

I am a white woman who has several black female friends. Since the George Floyd murder and police brutality towards black and brown people, I’m feeling more and more alienated from my black friends and fear the divide is only growing. I am not sure if this is because I am white, or because I’m not doing something I should be? Or, maybe it’s all in my head. Whatever it is, I am very sad about it. What I can do to keep my friendships strong? I miss our connections and they mean a lot to me.
 
Two parents comforting child

Supporting Mental Health in Early Childhood

For children, ages birth-5 years old, mental health begins with how they form close relationships with caregivers, manage and express their emotions, and explore the environment and learn. A child's development is cumulative, building on previous milestones, which is why it's important to establish safety early on, both physically and emotionally, so that children can thrive in these areas.
 
A women contemplating

My Sister’s Lies Have Torn My Family Apart

I'm the oldest of three adult siblings. My youngest sister, “Sue” was diagnosed with chronic depression, bipolar disorder, and within the past year, narcissistic personality disorder. Since the narcissistic diagnosis, she's stopped seeing her psychiatrist and stopped taking her medication. She's always had issues with pathological lying but I recently found out she has been lying to my other sister and parents about me for years - hurtful, relationship-damaging lies my family believed and she continues to tell to this day. My heart is extremely heavy because I'm contemplating severing ties with her. I know her behavior is largely because of her mental illness but I feel I need to emotionally protect myself from her. I'm at a loss for what to do.
 
John and Haley with foster youth

Giving Back Love and Support

John and Haley discussed becoming foster parents on their first date. For a while, they drove by a Nexus-PATH billboard every single day until one day they decided it was time. They reached out to become licensed as foster parents.
 
Angie and Mauri Melander Friestleben

The Wounded Healer

​​​​​​​Principal Mauri Melander Friestleben recently visited Nexus-Mille Lacs girls at the Andover Group Home to watch and discuss the Love Them First - Lessons from Lucy Laney Elementary documentary together and share their own life experiences. 
 
Women drinking coffee in bed

Support, One Day at a Time

This past year has been many things – it has been challenging, emotional, overwhelming, stressful, and yet it has also been inspiring and rewarding. There is no doubt about it, we have all had to change not only how we do our work but adjust our personal lives due to new stress and worry that we’ve never navigated before. How do we manage all of this and still be the very best possible version of ourselves?
 
Couple does not understand each other

My Significant Other Doesn’t Believe Me When I Tell Her I Have A Mental Illness

My significant other doesn't believe me when I tell her I have a mental illness. It is really affecting our relationship as she doesn't respect me when I tell her I need extra time or space. How else can I show her what I am going through? 
 
Older sister struggling mentally

Our Daughter Struggles Mentally While Her Sister Is Doing Well

This past year, my oldest daughter has struggled mentally while our younger daughter has been thriving and adjusting well to change. I feel like we need to talk about mental health as a family so we can support each other, but I don’t know how to talk about it without making it feel like an attack on my oldest daughter?