Saving the Esthers of the World
Esther died alone, in a motel room. It was a cold, murky morning. The hotel was small and cheap and located just off the freeway. It was only a few miles from home. Esther had a home, you see. The same home she grew up in with both of her parents and her brothers and sisters and always, the family
2021 Year in Review
Here we are! 2021 is coming to a close and as we reflect on the past year, we are grateful, and in awe, of all that has happened. It’s been a wild ride and we are thankful that you’ve been by our side. Take a look back at some highlights from 2021. February Webinar Series The Miller-Dwan Foundation started a
Cannabis and the Effects on Teens
Cannabis has been legalized in 18 states. Another 13 have decriminalized it. In Minnesota, it is illegal for recreational use, but decriminalized for possession of 42.5 grams or less. Weโll talk more about what that amount may mean. In Wisconsin, cannabis is also illegal for recreational use, but thereโs a strong push to legalize it. โprohibition has not worked when
Pay It Forward
Thanks to Bell Bank and Bent Paddle for coming together to raise awareness and financial support for Amberwing! Bell Bank has a Pay It Forward program, where they choose a nonprofit in the region to benefit from their philanthropic culture. Bent Paddle Brewery has a Paddle It Forward program where the proceeds from a specific beer will benefit a nonprofit.
Meet Gabriela, Amberwingโs new Fellow
Having grown up in the Northland, I’ve always valued time spent in nature and found it important for oneโs well-being. Working in the mental health field, I was also aware of Amberwingโs – Center for Youth & Family Well-Being work. In Fall of 2020, I began my final Master of Social Work (MSW) clinical internship at Amberwing. During my first
Abby: Learning to Cope Ahead
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Watch the video to see Abby’s transformation! How do people manage the emotional turmoil caused by a traumatic life event? The kind of pain that surfaces at unexpected moments, splashing into life and relationships without warning. For the Fermenich family, their saying is: โTake a deep breath and just keep swimming.โ Tune into humor and hold onto faith. Use the
ARTcetera meets CYBERcetera: A Historical Look Back
Pat Burns remembers the nervous excitement of launching ARTcetera with her team at the Miller-Dwan Foundation. It was 1999 and the Foundation, with its history of high impact medical philanthropy, needed a boost for its efforts to support life-saving treatments and therapies in the region. โWhat if no one comes?โ says Pat, who served as president of the Foundation from
Giving Intensive Support for Intense Mental Health Needs
When it comes to helping people deal with a life-threatening mental health crisis, thereโs one place in northern Minnesota that treats more patients, more intensively, than anywhere else. The 38-bed Adult Behavioral Health Unit in Essentia Healthโs Miller-Dwan Building sees patients diagnosed with mental illness from throughout Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The unit is always
Reality Check: Kids and Social Media
We know kids today spend a lot more of their time interacting through social media than in the past. Research tells us that all this screen time can not only skew their reality but also prompt symptoms of anxiety and depression. Dr. Elena Metcalf, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Amberwing, is seeing the effects first-hand. โI’m seeing kids as young
Social Distancing Mental Health Tips
As a kid, when I thought about the year 2020, I imagined life like the Jetson’s – flying cars, robots and all kinds of things I couldnโt even imagine yet. As I thought about 2020 as an adult, it was clean slate โ it was refreshing to begin a new decade with a positive mindset of the good things I
