When Chrissy Bernard arrived in Denver, Colorado, in early June for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) flagship conference, she thought she would be just another attendee, there to learn among like-minded colleagues.
That was until the Gloria Huntley Award was announced and Bernard suddenly had to give a speech in front of his peers.
“I didn’t know what to say, so I just rambled on for about five minutes,” said Bernard, an anesthesia technology coordinator at Essentia Health. “I wasn’t expecting that. It caught me off guard.”
The prestigious Gloria Huntley Award “recognizes exemplary advocacy work performed by an individual or organization at the national or local level,” according to a NAMI news release.
Bernard certainly fits that bill: Her email signature lists about 20 different roles she holds locally, state and nationally to help people suffering from mental illness.
Bernard is the executive director of NAMI Lake Superior South Shore and a member of the NAMI Wisconsin Board of Directors. She serves on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Mental Health Council, chairs the Douglas County Mental Health Coordination Community Response Group, and is a Mental Health First Aid instructor.
And she led the creation of Superior’s first respite house, Hope Haven Peer Respite, scheduled to open this year. Hope Haven, where Bernard will serve as executive director, will operate a 24/7 hotline for emotional support staffed by volunteers in recovery, funded by a grant from Essentia Health.
In explaining his tireless advocacy work, Bernard recalls Picasso’s words: “The meaning of life is to find your talent. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Bernard says the job is close to home, as she previously struggled with her own mental health, allowing her to share her life experiences and be a companion to others on their journey.
“I feel like I’ve found my gift in mental health recovery, and now my purpose is to inspire others in it by setting an example of what recovery looks like,” she says. “I can really empathize with my peers who are struggling because I’ve been through the same thing. I’ve been to rock bottom and I’ve climbed back up.”
Bernard has worked at Essentia for about 14 years.
How does she find the time to be involved with so many organizations? Bernard says she is well-organized and full of energy, just like her parents: “They’re both like the Energizer Bunny.”
The importance of her work is what drives Bernard, and she is passionate about helping others, which is evidenced by her receiving the Gloria Huntley Award from NAMI.
“I was amazed, shocked and grateful,” Bernard said. “My advocacy work is paying off and most importantly, I’m able to help other people.”
The award is named after Gloria Huntley, whose death in 1996 after being constantly restrained while in solitary confinement in a psychiatric hospital resulted in congressional hearings, legislation and regulatory reforms.