ShareHouse’s Business Development Manager Emma Quinn has been nominated for YWCA’s Woman of the Year in Cass County. Her incredible work speaking up for better mental health care at the North Dakota state capitol has earned her a nomination in the Advocating for Equality category. She has also worked tirelessly with local behavioral health providers to discuss additional methods for mental health care and educate others on the work we do at ShareHouse.
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How does it feel to be nominated for Woman of the Year in Cass County?
It’s an incredible honor to be nominated and recognized for my advocacy work. Woman of the Year recognizes so many wonderful women across our community, to be included is a dream come true.2
How has your work led you to being nominated in the Advocating for Equality category?
My work with advocacy started long before I was working in the behavioral health field. I started by speaking up when I would hear people say someone “committed suicide”, after my brother died by suicide. After losing my brother, I learned how much words matter to the people that are left behind and I decided I wanted to help be a part of the solution of breaking the stigma around behavioral health. Once I was comfortable speaking up to my friends, family, and people I met in public I took my voice to North Dakota’s capital to speak up for more funding for behavioral health services. I wanted our legislators to understand that behavioral health affects everyone and that I was not an exception but the norm. I believe everyone should have access to affordable behavioral health care no matter where they live or what their income was. I use my personal experience with my own mental illness to shed light on the barriers to getting behavioral health services. This work is very personal for me, which is why I am so passionate about people receiving timely and affordable services.3
Where does your passion for equality come from?
My passion for equality comes from seeing how mental health and substance use disorders do not discriminate. If my family can be affected by suicide and addiction than anyone’s can. I know firsthand the grief that a family goes through when a loved one’s behavioral health is not properly addressed. My goal is to make sure no other family feels the pain mine has experienced.4
What all have you accomplished while working at ShareHouse?
While working at ShareHouse I have been able to expand my network and connect with behavioral health providers across North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, as well as nationwide. This helps me understand behavioral health systems outside of North Dakota.5
What else would you like to accomplish while working at ShareHouse?
My goal is to one day work on national mental health reform and understanding how states set up their behavioral health systems is a key part to understanding how we could be doing things better on a national level. I want everyone to be able to get behavioral health services no matter where they live or what their income is. Everyone deserves to live a happy and healthy life and I won’t be done working until everyone I meet understands the importance of behavioral health. The Woman of the Year event will be held this Monday, April 22nd at the Delta Hotels by Marriott in Fargo. There will be a social starting at 5:30PM with the dinner and program beginning at 6:30PM.
