Who We Are

The Connection is a membership organization, and has expanded to more than 80 members across the tri-county region, with new members joining every month.  Member agencies include, not only the large health systems, ThedaCare, Ascension and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, but community-based agencies like NAMI Fox Valley, Apricity, the Sexual Assault Crisis Center, and Pillars. Other members include School districts, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, clergy/faith communities, individual community members and mental health providers (large and small).

IMPACT AREAS:     

  • PROMOTING RESILIENCY: A focus on mental health and wellbeing, prevention, awareness and education
  • REDUCING STIGMA: A focus on mental health literacy, storytelling about living well with mental illness and promotion of Mental Healthcare as Healthcare
  • CONNECTING TO CARE: A focus on access to mental health services, service navigation, crisis system reform, and diversion to treatment
  • GROWING & STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE: A focus on availability and accessibility of mental health professionals, training and development of a quality workforce, and expanding the spectrum of care providers
  • SEEKING SOLUTIONS: A focus on Collective Impact and Systems Change Models for solving, not managing, current problems, bringing incubating ideas to fruition, and supporting aligned activities

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:      

  • COLLABORATION: Collaborate with others on shared root cause and shared risk issues
  • EQUITY: Elevate, understand and address disparities in mental health outcomes
  • DIVERSITY: Enlist and engage diverse champions to voice the mental health needs and concerns of our community
  • INNOVATION: Embrace innovation, challenge existing norms and structures, and champion out-of-the-box solutions
  • DATA-DRIVEN: Make mental health, suicide, and substance use data accessible, digestible, and usable to drive strategy and decision-making for our community
  • LIVED EXPERIENCE: Welcome and intentionally center the voice of lived experience in all activities
  • SYSTEMS ORIENTATION: 94% of the problem is caused by the system, and 6% by the individual (Demings 94/6 Rule)