Cindy is the President of the Board for National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) - Johnson County and volunteers her time each day not only to advance the work of NAMI Johnson County, but to provide support and resources to the Johnson County community. Cindy also works diligently to get programs available to the community-at-large to help ensure that individuals know they aren't alone, that support is available, and that healing is possible. Whether it be the numerous programs and peer-to-peer offerings from NAMI Johnson County, the NAMI JOCO walk, providing support and referrals to the community, and all-around advocacy, Cindy is there in any and all capacities ready to be of help and service.

https://www.namijoco.org/

Nominator says: "If there is a mental health need in the community, Cindy is there. She is always advocating, assisting, and supporting in every way that she can. Cindy works hard to find new ways to meet the community where they are at, and works diligently to ensure those with mental illness and their loved ones are not alone in their journey."

Kelly and Bob Specht never thought their lives would be impacted by mental illness. Their son,
Carl, suffered a mental health crisis during his sophomore year at Kansas State University and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Carl battled the illness and worked hard to stay healthy. He graduated from Kansas State, landed his dream job as a sales engineer with a fortune 500 company and moved to southern, California. Five years after the onset, the illness returned. The nightmare returned, and Carl's life was interrupted. He returned to Kansas City where his family and friends were there to support him. However, access to care was denied, and resources were not available. Carl died by suicide on June 23, 2017. His life was not defined by mental illness, but his death was. It was the result of depression and the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

After the devastating loss of Carl, Bob made a comment that would change the trajectory of our lives - it was the first ray of hope that we would survive this tragedy. He said, "We have to bring mental health awareness to the stadium level" ? it was a big goal, but it made sense. If messages about mental health could reach thousands of people in a stadium, it could reach every age and demographic. If Carl had heard messages that 'it's ok to not be ok', 'it's ok to ask for help', maybe he would still be with us today. That is how Carl's Cause began. In the past five years, we have raised almost $500,000 through a golf tournament and various awareness events throughout the year. In 2021, Carl's Cause 'made it to the stadium level'!!

The Kansas City Royals and The University of Kansas Health System held the first 'Mental
Wellness' night at the K. Bob threw out the first-pitch and Kelly sat in the Buck O'Neil Legacy seat. More than 500 fans of Carl's Cause wore green t-shirts to show support of 'the Cause'.

The money we raise helps many different organizations such as NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness), Building Brotherhood at Kansas State University, Marillac Center in Overland Park, however most of the money benefits The University of Kansas Health System's (TUKHS) Strawberry Hill inpatient treatment facility. It opened in the Fall of 2019 and after meeting the incredible people and touring the facility, we knew it was something that would have helped Carl if it had been available when he needed that help.

Through our donations, the Health System has hired the first Behavior Health Navigator. These are privately funded positions and play a vital role in the continuum of care when a patient is discharged from inpatient treatment. Our current goal with the health system is to expand this into the Carl's Cause Behavior Health Navigator Program, where more Navigators can be hired and impact more individuals and families in our community.
In July of 2022, we returned to the stadium and teamed up with the Kansas City Royals and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City to promote the rollout of 988.

https://carlscause.org/

Nominator says, "They inspire me as they continue to fight stigma, their passion for mental health, raising awareness and supporting others in the local communities is a tremendous asset those in need."

Emily is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of Healing Towards Wellness.

Created in 2019, Healing Towards Wellness is a mental health practice unlike any other in Kansas City. Designed to address the growing need for mental health care for the middle class, HTW operates on a payment plan that is unique and attainable for every individual.

"We believe that wellness isn't just a privilege for the wealthiest among us, and affordable treatment shouldn't be reserved for those in emergent critical need."

Emily has made it her personal and professional mission to make access to mental health care affordable for the community. At Healing Towards Wellness, Emily provides sliding scale services that are affordable to the community and does not require insurance in order to be seen. Furthermore, Emily looks at the whole person through her services, taking a holistic look at the intervention strategies. Lastly, Emily works diligently to bring the community together in mental wellness.

https://www.healingtowardswellness.com/

Nominator says, "The collaborative nature of Emily's work in the mental health field is inspiring beyond words. Emily works diligently to ensure the best resources are made available to those she works with and the community-at-large. I love her holistic approach and the direction that she is taking Healing Towards Wellness in order to provide comprehensive support. Emily is an advocate for the community and works to not just speak change, but to be the change."