Joining Forces to Break the Mental Health Stigma
By VIVIAN LaMOORE, Inaajimowin Editor
IT'S OK TO ASK FOR HELP!
Health and Human Services continues to find innovative resources to better serve the community. The Mental Health program is currently expanding and combining efforts to work towards better health, not only mental health, but overall health. They are focusing on growing the Mental Health team and working with other HHS programs to become stronger. “We all have to work together,” said Diane Neal, MS, LPCC. Neal is the new Program Director of the Mille Lacs Band Mental Health. “We are building our department. Everybody has different strengths, and together, we can do so much more.”
Neal went on to explain all areas of HHS are coordinating efforts of behavioral health, mental health, and physical health. “We are integrating to treat the person as a whole being. Is there substance use? Is there a physical health issue? Is there a criminal aspect? We need to coordinate all of that to determine the specific needs of each individual,” she said. “And we need to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders, thus promoting wellness and recovery in our community.”
The focus of the Mental Health Department right now is to develop a community awareness of who they are, so people will know who to call, Neal said. She has been leaning on the current staff for guidance as she is learning the community. She said the way she sees it, “I am a guest in this house. I am honored to be here.” She added that she is both humbled and grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Band. She hopes to expand services and build on programming that provides integrative quality care supporting the individual, youth, family, and community.
Diane Neal, MS, LPCC,
Diane Neal has been working with mental health, families, and youth for over 30 years. Her roots as a teacher in New York City set the foundation of commitment to the health and wellbeing of families, youth, men, women, and communities. She has worked with a focus on adolescents, family engagement, trauma, addictions, attachment, developmental disabilities, autism, and other special needs as well as high risk criminal and mental health populations. She has worked in various settings including correctional, residential and community outpatient programs, and private practice.
As a previous foster parent, adopted parent and adoption agency owner, Neal has developed and trained in parenting, adoption, and attachment styles for private and state organizations. In 2007, when she relocated to Minnesota from Florida, she has been clinical and executive director for programs building curricula and enhancing programming to increase awareness and needed services. A strong focus of Neal’s has been around trauma, sexual health and wellness/identity and gender, bystander prevention, and a focus on eliminating abuse and addressing interrelation violence within cultural competency. She has enhanced focus areas for special populations including Autism, Fetal alcohol (FASD), and developmental disabilities DD/IDD). Trauma informed care training and certifications have been a foundation for the last 14 years.
Working with programs, on state task forces, boards, in private practice and legislative change, Neal remained committed to ending abuse and violence to enhance community and family safety with a mental health and cultural awareness foundation. Neal has provided consultation and training to community programs, other professionals, institutions, courts, and schools/Universities on the topics of prevention, abuse, treatment and community response to assault, sexual health, family engagement, domestic violence, sexual abusers and victimization, trauma, and suicidality. She has advised on policies and legislative task forces.
Neal has published journal reviews and chapter contribution of a Forensic textbook in the areas of Autism, FASD special needs (IDD/DD), problematic sexual behaviors/sexual offending, as well as remains actively involved in research surrounding the topics of appropriate treatment efficacies with a mental health perspective.
Crissy Wade MA, LPCC, CTMH
Crissy Wade is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), who received her Bachelor’s degree at Bemidji State University, and Master’s degree from Bethel University in counseling psychology.
Wade has been a therapist for almost 10 years specializing in trauma informed care, including intergenerational trauma. She is trained in Play Therapy, DBT, Sand Tray Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Wade works primarily with adolescents, adults, and Elders. She has recently been working in training and certification with Brainspotting. “Brainspotting is an advanced brain body technique for healing emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and multiple other mental health diagnoses. It is one of the few techniques that effectively addresses the root cause of psychological stress and trauma,” she said. Wade is also able to provide supervision for those therapists that are seeking licensure.
“I really want people to know that it is OK to call someone for help. Having anxiety, depression, or any other concerns is OK. When you call a therapist, it doesn’t mean you are crazy. Mental health care doesn’t equal mental illness. It means taking care of yourself. We need to get rid of the stigma. It’s okay to have anxiety, it’s okay to be depressed, and it’s okay to get help. We’re not here to be judgmental. We’re here to help.”
In addition, Wade said she has been involved with the Mille Lacs Band since at least 2018 and lives the culture and traditions. She enjoys spending time at the Assisted Living Units lunching and beading with the Elders. In her time away from work, she enjoys swimming, beading, spending time with family, and sitting around a bonfire with her husband and two dogs, Tuxedo and Jenny. Her favorite activity to do is fishing while watching the sunset over Mille Lacs Lake.
Tiffany Klug, LICSW
Tiffany Klug started her career at Four Winds and has come back as a therapist with clinical strength and commitment to support the mental health needs of Band members in the community.
Klug is an LICSW with over four years clinical experience working with various ages across the lifespan. Having worked in a variety of settings including residential, day treatment, and outpatient, she has become adept at de-escalation, motivational interviewing, EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy, sand tray therapy, play therapy and more.
“It is most important to me that I meet each client where they are at in any stage of life and my goal is the make each person feel heard, understood, safe, and cared for," Klug said. "I work alongside each individual to identify strengths they already have, explore resources, make positive life changes and accomplish personal goals. I offer therapy using a warm, non-judgmental, compassionate and culturally competent approach.”
Crystal Weckert, MS, LICSW, LMFT
Crystal Weckert is a Mille Lacs Band member dually licensed as an independent clinical social worker and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been working in the mental health field since 2008. She has worked in the Health and Human Services field throughout her professional and educational journey; originally working as a Health and Human Services outreach worker, she transported clients to their mental health and substance use appointments. She is now committed to assisting clients in reaching their optimal mental health as a mental health therapist.
Weckert graduated with her bachelor’s degree in social work from the College of St. Scholastica. She worked as a child protection social worker for three years with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Weckert graduated with her first Master’s Degree in marriage and family therapy from Argosy University in 2008. She worked as a marriage and family therapist for seven years before accepting a director’s position in 2013. In 2013, Weckert received her Second Master’s Degree in Tribal Administration and Governance from the University of Minnesota. She had overseen the substance use department and mental health services for Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for over six years. She has been back to providing direct mental health services to clients for almost two years and loves being with the clients again. Weckert is a certified specialist in anger management and has a permanency in adoption competency certification.
Weckert has worked in Health and Human Services field since 2002. She and her husband have been licensed foster parents for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for over 10 years. Weckert served on Gov. Dayton’s task force for mental health in 2016. She served on the Minnesota American Indian Mental Health Advisory Council for over eight years.
Weckert has been working with mental health and substance use departments within the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe throughout her professional career. “I am deeply committed to working with and helping Native American communities,” she said.
