On Wednesday, January 28, the Rotary Club of Waukee hosted a Mental Health Leadership Forum, joining more than 50 community leaders from various sectors gathered for an important conversation about how to better understand the mental health challenges facing residents of Waukee and explore meaningful paths forward.
On Wednesday, January 28, the Rotary Club of Waukee hosted a Mental Health Leadership Forum, joining more than 50 community leaders from various sectors gathered for an important conversation about how to better understand the mental health challenges facing residents of Waukee and explore meaningful paths forward.
Discussions centered on the real-life mental health concerns that participants were seeing in their daily lives, such as compassion fatigue and a growing sense of disconnection among neighbors and community members. As the conversation turned toward solutions, participants highlighted barriers such as financial limitations, busy schedules, and the stigma and lack of understanding around mental health conditions, that prevented people from accessing proper care and receiving support.
This initiative was sparked by the Waukee Rotary Mental Health Committee, made up of Lesley Christensen and Dr. Lindsey Law of the Waukee Community School District; Waukee Chief of Police Chad McClusky; Nick Osborne of the City of Waukee; Jen Nelson, of The Iowa Clinic; and Alex Sandvig of Holmes Murphy & Associates. The Committee will continue to meet regularly to continue this dialogue.
The Rotary Club of Waukee extends sincere thanks to Holmes Murphy hosting this event, as well as the City of Waukee and the Waukee Community School District, who helped make the project a success. Special recognition is also given to Rotary member Craig Butterfield, who helped coordinate the initiative from the beginning.