The Northeast Wisconsin Mental Health Connection is proud to announce the appointment of Sarah Bassing-Sutton as its new Executive Director. Sarah has been an integral part of The Connection’s mission since 2020, serving as the Community Suicide Prevention Coordinator.
In her new role, Sarah will continue to advance the organization’s vision of championing mental health for Fox Valley residents by leading collaborative community initiatives focused on systems-level change and improvements. Sarah succeeds Beth Clay, who served as Executive Director since 2015.
“Sarah’s passion for mental health and her proven leadership make her the ideal choice to lead The Connection into its next chapter,” said Julie Meyer, Board Chair of The Connection and ThedaCare’s Director of Behavioral Health. “Her dedication to our mission and her ability to inspire others are invaluable assets as we continue to grow and serve our community.”
Sarah is a long-serving community mental health advocate who has spearheaded the creation and implementation of many regional initiatives and programs. Over the past five years at The Connection, Sarah led the development of:
- The Community Crisis Response Team, which has an embedded a mental health professional within law enforcement in Outagamie County;
- Adult Suicide Death Review Teams in Winnebago and Calumet Counties;
- The Mental Health Navigator – a resource now offered by VPI, Inc. which helps keep community members out of mental health crisis;
- The Mind Your Wellness Survey, a local surveillance tool to gain a better understanding of mental health and suicide-related behaviors of adults living in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counites; AND
- The Suicide Prevention Action Team for the Tri-County region, which prioritizes, coordinates and aligns suicide-prevention initiatives in the region.
“I am honored and excited to step into the role of Executive Director,” said Sarah. “I look forward to building on our strong foundation and working alongside our members, community partners, stakeholders and funders as we continue and expand our work to improve the mental health of our community.”
In her previous jobs, Sarah developed the Wellness Screen initiative at Samaritan (Counseling); served as the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Court Coordinator for Outagamie County; and managed NAMI Fox Valley’s Crisis Intervention Team Training program. Sarah earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from UW-Oshkosh and is certified through the American Association of Suicidology as a suicidologist. Sarah will step into her new role as Executive Director on Jan. 27.
When not working, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband, kids and fur-babies making memories. Sarah is an avid tent camper and enjoys snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, biking and going for walks with her dog.
