Changing the Narrative on Mental Health and Suicide 

Two dates & locations to serve you:

• Monday, 03.31.2025 (6pm – 7:30pm) at WHA 

• NEW DATE: Thursday, 04.24.2025 (6pm – 7:30pm) at the Onigum Community Center.

Talking about mental health and suicide can be an uncomfortable and uncertain topic that brings up different feelings, beliefs, and attitudes for everyone. Changing the Narrative is an interactive conversation that empowers participants to change perceptions of mental health towards hope and resilience.  

Throughout the session, participants will engage in dialog about being intentional in the words we are using. Certain ways of talking about mental health and suicide can alienate members of any community, sensationalize the issue, contribute to a decrease in help seeking behavior or even present suicide as a glamorous, preferred way of dealing with problems. Having healthy conversations about mental health and suicide avoids harmful messages that might increase suicide risk in individuals or undermine suicide prevention goals. By doing this safely, these conversations reduce stigma, mitigate risks, promote help-seeking, and respect all individuals.

Changing the Narrative is available courtesy of the Reclaiming & Advancing Leech Lake Youth (RALLY) coalition, a Minnesota Department of Health sponsored community-based coalition committed to youth substance misuse and suicide prevention. 


Your Presenters: Linsey McMurrin and Jen Buie
  Linsey McMurrin is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, WHA alum, board member, parent, and community changemaker.  As the Executive Director of Peacemaker Resources, Linsey understands and elevates the importance of hard conversations as a first step toward healing.  As a member of the RALLY coalition, Linsey extends her gifts of grace and wisdom into the realm of youth substance misuse and suicide prevention. 
Jen Buie is the coordinator of WHA’s Reclaiming & Advancing Leech Lake Youth (RALLY) coalition.  Jen’s experience with crisis response teams and mental health service delivery has allowed her to understand the necessity of honest, open conversations about our wellness.