In January of 2014, I became a board member for the DMAX Foundation. DMAX Foundation has the stated mission of:
To eliminate stigma and encourage safe and caring conversations about mental health issues and emotional pain in our youth.
The founders and volunteers of this group truly care about how we are addressing issues of mental illness in our society. Matter’s of mental illness are often kept in the closet and rarely discussed. As a result, our reaction to people suffering from mental illness is too often harsh, exclusionary, dismissive and damaging.
I have been motivated by this issue for a long time and I tried to capture my feelings in this Huffington Post essay: Letting the Blues Back into our Lives: Opening Ears and Hearts to Save Lives
If you’d like to help, DMAX Foundation is looking for volunteers. Stop by their Website and sign up!
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Update: September & June, 2017 – I had a particularly challenging set of polar experiences… watching joy and life unfolding amidst terrible pain and loss. This stream of consciousness, captured the moment for me… and reflects on where the blame lies…
Update: May, 2018
Due to a few recent issues, I felt compelled to write about law enforcement vs. peace officer focus.
https://www.skipshuda.com/police-why-law-enforcement-should-not-be-their-focus/