SSM Health has donated $10,000 to NAMI Fond du Lac County to support three programs that help increase access to mental health education, advocacy opportunities, and supportive resources for youth across the county.

“These efforts will ensure the students, educators, and families recognize warning signs, understand mental health statistics, and know how to seek and provide support, ultimately creating a more informed and compassionate community,” according to Sue Mitchell Metz, NAMI Fond du Lac County executive coordinator. “With the increasing demand for mental health services in Fond du Lac County, this donation will play a pivotal role in ensuring that youth and families have access to the resources they need.”

The donation will help support the following services:

• NAMI Hearts+Minds: There is a clear and critical need to care for mental and physical health simultaneously. Understanding this connection and synergy is vital to overall wellness. NAMI Hearts+Minds is a wellness program designed to educate and empower you to better manage your health – mentally and physically.
• NAMI Ending the Silence: A one-hour presentation for adults with middle, high school, or college aged youth that includes warning signs, facts and statistics, how to talk with your child and how to work with school staff.
• NAMI Wisconsin Mental Health Chat: A mental health awareness presentation given to elementary-age students. NAMI Wisconsin has been given permission to expand the program statewide. The focused population is fourth graders (third – fifth) and the presentation is given by someone living with a mental illness or someone who is a family member of someone with a mental illness. The presentation is about 45-60 minutes with a curriculum follow-up for teachers provided.

The donation was presented to Mitchell Metz by Jodi Dietzel, SSM Health Fond du Lac Market administrator; Bill Boyd, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital vice president of operations; and Laura Nakielski, SSM Health Community Health Specialist – Senior.

“Mental health resources are incredibly important for youth as they navigate the complexities of adolescence and early adulthood,” according to Boyd. “These resources can help young people develop healthy coping mechanisms, build resilience, and prevent the onset of mental health disorders that can have lasting impacts on their lives.”

In 2024, SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac’s community benefit ministry totaled more than $568,000 across the communities it serves. This investment helps ensure access to health care for patients who are uninsured or underinsured, train the next generation of health professionals to care for those in need, and fund programs to address the most pressing health needs of our communities.

Jodi Dietzel (left), SSM Health Fond du Lac Market administrator; Bill Boyd (second from right), SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital vice president of operations; and Laura Nakielski (right), SSM Health Community Health Specialist – Senior, present a $10,000 donation to Sue Mitchell Metz, NAMI Fond du Lac County executive coordinator.