Why We NAMI - A Mental Health Podcast

What a journey these last two and a half years have been. In the final episode of Why We NAMI co-hosts Angela and Mallory sit down with our producer Skye to share some of our best moments with the show and our immense gratitude towards our listeners. It has been an amazing ride. Please remember to reach out to namisouthdakota.org for any resources and updated information on programs and events happening in across our state. If looking for a new mental health podcast to listen to, check out NAMI national's podcast "Hope Starts with Us" on any of your favorite podcast apps.

Mikayla Mitzel is a Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in what is now known as South Dakota. She has a background in Clinical Mental Health Counseling as well as primary and secondary education. She is currently working as a school counselor with K-5 in her home community, which is the perfect blending of these two fields. She is passionate about individual, family, and community healing, and aspires to bring culturally competent and relevant strengthening of families programming and services to her reservation.

Dr. Jay Kahl is the Assistant Vice Provost for Assessment and Academic Excellence at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. He considers himself a Buddhist or Taoist, and meditation is a part of his daily life. He has been leading guided meditation sessions for students at Augustana, and brings his practice to this week's episode of Why We NAMI.

Jenna Everson is a current MSW student at the University of South Dakota. Previous to graduate school she went to South Dakota State University in Brookings and grew up in Aberdeen. Jenna is NAMI South Dakota's intern for the next year as she completed her first semester of her graduate program. 

Jamie Sterk is the founder of Wounded Healer Recovery. Prior to Wounded Healer Recovery Jamie worked in the Sioux Falls School District. In 2020, Jamie became certified as a yoga instructor and became attuned in the art of Reiki. Being in recovery from addiction herself, The way that her spirituality was strengthened because of the combination of working a twelve step program, practicing yoga and using Reiki healing energy in her life was impactful. Jamie is a mother to 5 children. 

Beth Elam is the Associate Dean of Students & Title IX Coordinator at Augustana University. She has been at Augustana for 13 years and serves the university in the areas of student health & counseling, mental health resources, crisis management/response and Title IX.As part of the Dean of Students Office, Beth helps to create a culture of care that surrounds each student as they navigate their college experience. Beth earned her B.A degree from the University of Sioux Falls and her M.S. in Counseling & Human Resource Development from South Dakota State University.

Jessi Whetsel is the campus counselor at Lake Area Technical College. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Oklahoma State University and went on to complete her Masters in Education for School Counseling from Northeastern State University (OK). She then completed some post-graduate classes to earn a license in professional counseling.Jessi has worked in both school and community counseling as a counselor and presently enjoys her job helping college students in life transitions and mental health struggles. Jessi and her husband have a blended family and live at home with their two children in Watertown, SD. Jessi enjoys spending time with her family, visiting with her friends, and helping to improve the community around her.

Sylvia Selgestad has been a Credit and Housing Counselor and Educator with the Lutheran Social Services Center for Financial Resources for more than 10 years. She is a HUD Certified Housing Counselor, and is certified by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) as a Credit Counselor, Student Loan Counselor and Financial Educator, as well as the NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling (NCHEC) in Homeownership Counseling and Foreclosure Prevention Counseling. She works primarily with clients in rural areas and those who are or have been incarcerated.

Mark “Papa D” Daniels, PhD, QMHP, Ho-Chunk, Dine, Nooch (he/him/his) is a Native American Clinical Psychologist currently working at Sanford Health in Vermillion as an Integrated Health Therapist and a member of the Board of Directors of The TRANSformation Project whose mission is to support and empower transgender youth, young adults, and their families while educating communities in South Dakota and the surrounding region about gender identity and expression.  He is a former Associate Professor of Psychology and Native American Studies at USD, a former Clinical Psychologist at the Sioux Falls VA, the Sacred Child Treatment Program for the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, and the Society of Care for the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, and Past President of the Society of Indian Psychologists, the national organization that represents Native American Psychologists. He earned his BS degree in Psychology with a Sociology minor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and his MA and PhD in Psychology at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio.  He completed his Predoctoral Internship at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center in Sturgis, South Dakota, and the Sioux San Indian Health Service Hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota. 

Stephanie Burgeon graduated from South Dakota State University with both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees.  This is her 28th year in education. She will be a counselor at George McGovern Middle School in Sioux Falls this Fall.  She previously spent time in the Yankton and Wagner school districts. She is married to her husband Michael. She has two sons, Brody is a full time soldier in the US Army and Hudson will be a sophomore at Jefferson High School. In her spare time she enjoys reading, baking, shopping and spending time with my family.

LuAnn's Berkhof's entire professional career has had a dimension of caregiving that has afforded her the opportunity to see the care needs of an array of people groups.  LuAnn has worked previously as a teacher, a preschool director, a teen and young adult program coordinator, a provider for people with different abilities and a caregiver to our older adults.  Each of these groups of people have specific needs but each share a common need to feel safe and valued.Luann grew up on a farm by Slayton, Minnesota, graduated from Dordt College, in Sioux Center IA, and have now lived in Sioux Falls, SD for over 30 years.

Carmen Spurling has been the Caregiver Outreach Director at Active Generations for the past 3.5 years.  Prior to this, she worked 8 years with the Dept of Human Services in the Long term Services & Supports division, helping the aging & disabled population remain safely in their homes.  Carmen loves helping people connect to resources and provide education so they feel more empowered to care for their loved ones as long as possible.

Nic Brokenleg received his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Augustana University in 2001, and his Master's Degree in Social Work from USD in 2016. He has worked in Human Services for 20 years in the areas of Substance Abuse, Homelessness, Children's Education, Mental Health and Medical Social Work. He is a Licensed Independent Therapist and has been with the VA since 2015. He has been a Program Coordinator with the VA's Caregiver Support Program since 2019.

Monique “Muffie” Mousseau's Lakota name is Canupa mani Wi ((Cha Nu Pa  Ma Nee Wee )) (Walks with Pipe Women) Monique “Muffie” Mousseau (Moo-so). She is a member of the Oglala Lakota oyate. She is alcohol and drug free and has been in a relationship for 15+ years, married 6 years to her beautiful wife, Felipa De Leon.She is a True Rez'er and able to be an urban native.Monique has a bachelor's degree in Education, Associate Arts and Science degree in Natural Resources Management, Pre-engineering. She has 36 years in the workforce including 21 years at the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System as an Easement Coordinator. 8 years as an IPA Federal Certified Police Officer where she became knowledgeable of Federal Laws which govern Native American Reservations. More recently she worked in New Mexico and North Dakota and Rapid City, SD until May 2019. Monique is an Advocate/Activist for many important groups including the LGBTQ2S. She promotes culture, education and equity. child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness, Native American Rights, Minority Discrimination, MMIWM, Native American LGBTQ2S. Promotes culture, education, equity, Involved in many protections of Mother Earth (Water/Land/Air) marches and protests. Strong equality beliefs. Involved in community concept of pro-active teachings for the next generations.  Strong in the belief of Mitakuye Oyasin, Mother Earth, all connections.In her spare time, Monique travels throughout the western United States for Pow Wow/Rodeoing throughout her entire life, loved competing in sports, Travelled for Golfing Tournaments along the West Coast. Also, learned how to curl while living in North Dakota.

Matt Neufeld has been part of Sioux Falls Pride since the fall of 2018. His vision for the organization is to advocate for the understanding and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit community in all aspects of life in the Sioux Falls and surrounding area.

Rev. Dr. Teri Johnson has been an instructor at South Dakota State University for the past 8 years and teaches a variety of courses. She is an ordained United Methodist minister for 32 years serving congregations in Pierre, Mitchell, Brookings, and Minneapolis. She is the President of Brookings PFLAG and a member of the Brookings Backpack Board.She enjoys spending time with her family and her 4 grandchildren, taking care of her 2 dogs and 2 cats, making bread, and being outside.

Repost with updated intro (in memoriam)Cindy Kirschman currently works as the transitions liaison for the Transition Services Liaison Project under the Black Hills Special Service Coop, and is a volunteer and affiliate leader for NAMI Aberdeen. She is trained as a Basics teacher, Ending the Silence presenter, and Family Support Group Facilitator. She is an advocate for mental health and our friend!

John Schwab (he/him) was born and raised 30 miles outside of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and has lived in Aberdeen since 2019. John is currently earning his BFA in Digital Media/Graphic Design and Minoring in Marketing at Northern State University, and has two adorable animal children: Fuzzball (a cat), and Evelyn (a cinnamon conure). John has volunteered at the Aberdeen Community Theatre for 12 years and acted at Storybook Land Theatre since he was 11. He has done marketing and social media managing for the South Dakota Film Festival and has also worked on multiple short films throughout the years in the area. John strives to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, recognition, and mental health awareness in the Aberdeen area - and with his current transition into the Director's spot of Aberdeen Area Pride, he is excited to make this vision happen.

Nancy Wehrkamp is the Director of Programming at Active Generations. She has spent most of her career in education. Before Active Generations, she was the director at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for 7 years. She was also an education consultant at Avera McKennan, and a school counselor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church.Nancy is married with 3 adult children and 1 grandchild.

Denise Houchin started her journey to health almost 40 years ago, due to her oldest child having many health challenges. In 2010, after transitioning to a Whole Food Plant-Based way of eating, learning to de-stress, and incorporating gentle exercise, she was able to overcome and reverse many health issues, including: high blood pressure, obesity, anxiety and depression, insomnia, high cholesterol and pre-diabetes.As a Plant Based Chef, Nutrition Educator, Licensed Food for Life Instructor and former Plant-based Restaurant owner, Denise has taught cooking and nutrition classes in a variety of settings.  She loves sharing her knowledge of nutrition and allowing others to see how fabulous plant-based foods can taste.Denise is also a Hallelujah Health Minister, and Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from the Center for Nutrition Studies at eCornell University.

Kira Kimball is Marsh McLennan's Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer. Kira provides strategic and tactical leadership to advance efforts to attract and celebrate diverse perspectives while promoting and protecting a level playing field for all colleagues. Kira has her MSEd in counseling & human development with an emphasis in college students, an MA in English -- both from Purdue University and a BA in English -- from Minnesota State University MoorheadPrior to becoming Chief DE&I Officer in 2021, Kira was Chief Innovation Officer of Marsh McLennan in Sioux Falls. In this role, she used her talents to create an unfair competitive advantage for the team through collaborative business & community relationships that support revenue growth, client retention & talent recruitment with a message of expertise, commitment to our community and values of integrity & passion for what we do and who we do it with. Kira is also a part of the Pathways to Inclusive and Equitable Workplaces Community Coalition.

Megan Howard currently leads Baird's financial planning, estate and tax planning services. She is a graduate from SDSU and a certified financial planner. She shares value to her clients and community by being an educator, resource, and colleague.Previous to Baird, she spent years in the banking and cosmetology industries.  While completing her bachelor's degree in entrepreneurial studies, she transitioned into banking and finance.  Growing up with two hard working entrepreneur parents and has been instilled with hard work and a relationship-based mentality.Being an oldest child of two successful Army officers she grew up with certain traits that help her and her business grow and succeed. When Megan is not working she is a fan of the outdoors riding her motorcycle and hiking in the Black Hills.

Cindy Kirschman currently works as the transitions liaison for the Transition Services Liaison Project under the Black Hills Special Service Coop, and is a volunteer and affiliate leader for NAMI Aberdeen. She is trained as a Basics teacher, Ending the Silence presenter, and Family Support Group Facilitator. She is an advocate for mental health and our friend!

Jan Small is a retired educator, parent and grandparent. She currently lives in Watertown with her husband John. 

Matthew Stanley serves as the Vice President of the Behavioral Health Clinical Service Line and as the Medical Director of the Avera McKennan Behavioral Health Center and the Avera Addiction Care Center, Sioux Falls, SD, and the Avera Marshall Behavioral Health Center, Marshall, MN.  He received his doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, Des Moines, IA.  Dr. Stanley completed his residency at Western Missouri Mental Health Center, Kansas City, MO, and at the University of South Dakota in General Psychiatry. He has more than 20 years of experience as a psychiatrist at Avera and is Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventative Medicine. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. 

Sheri Nelson has over 20 years of experience working with individuals and families who have experienced mental health challenges.  Sheri holds a bachelor's in psychology and Addiction Studies and a masters in Addiction Studies from the University of South Dakota.  As an addiction counselor Sheri worked with at risk youth and their families.She went on to be the Director of a specialized program in which she treated both adult women and adolescent females who were pregnant, parenting, and struggled with addiction and mental health issues. Through her 20+ years of experience she also worked with clients who struggled with suicidal ideation and families who have lost loved ones to suicide. Prior to her new role as the Executive Director of NAMI SD, Sheri filled the role as Suicide Prevention Director at the Helpline Center for the past 5 years.  As the Executive Director of NAMI SD, Sheri brings over 10 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector in which she was in leadership roles.

As a certified nurse practitioner (CNP), Brenda Johnson is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. This certification allows Brenda to diagnose and treat mental illnesses with medication and/or psychotherapy.Her practice provides a nursing philosophy emphasis, shared decision making, and collaboration with other health practitioners. Brenda is licensed by the South Dakota Board of Nursing and the South Dakota Board of Medical & Osteopathic Examiners. Her 30 plus years of nursing experience also gives her a special ability in treating mental issues that co-occur with other medical conditions or end of life issues.Mental health issues impact chronic disease management in diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, alchoholism, heart disease, etc. She also works to dispel mental illness myths by encouraging early identification and treatment of mental illness.

Trivia Afraid of Lightning-Craddock is Mnicoujou Lakota an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, she graduated in 2016 with her master's in Leadership and Management from Oglala Lakota College. While attending Oglala Lakota College, Trivia volunteered as a community advocate as well as a working as a Uplifting Parent Mentor for Catholic Social Services. Trivia was able to use her training and life experiences helping native and non native single parents achieve their higher education academic goals while receiving mentorship and support.Trivia has been a community advocate in the area of Lakota language preservation, suicide prevention, and mentor.  In 2021 Trivia volunteered as a Connecting With Our Youth -Community Response Team Volunteer and now is currently the Program Manager of the Connecting With Our Youth suicide prevention intervention Program at the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board.

During his 35 years with the Sioux Falls Stockyards and the Olson-Frankman Commission, and his many years broadcasting the daily markets on KELO-TV, Jim Woster has touched the lives of nearly every agriculture producer in South Dakota. As a dedicated member of the South Dakota Cattleman's Association, Jim was awarded the Agri-Businessman of the Year (2000) and the Agriculturalist of the Year (2001) and inducted into the SD Hall of Fame in 2001. He has also donated countless hours to Avera Hospital, the South Dakota University Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.Jim has stated that, “ there is nothing in the world like opening weekend of pheasant hunting in Lyman County with family and friends. I have been one of the luckiest people in the country to be able to work in the same field that somewhat matches the talents that God gave me”. Jim was born to Henry (Hank) and Marie Woster in Chamberlain, SD. He attended grade school in Reliance and high school in Chamberlain. In 1962, he graduated from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science. He married Penny Jorgenson and the couple had three children: Jim Jr., Sara, and Michelle. Jim and his wife Penny reside in Sioux Falls, SD.

Maggie Kadrlik graduated from Augustana University in 2019 with a bachelors in psychology and sociology. While at Augie, Maggie played softball for 5 years where she was a part of the team who won the national championship in 2019. After Augie, Maggie went on to work at Avera Behavioral Health as a behavioral health technician for two years. Maggie is back at Augustana University, not only working as the strength and conditioning graduate assistant but also getting her masters in sports administration and leadership. She is currently working on her thesis studying the impact of mental health awareness for athletes. Maggie plans to get her doctorate in sports psychology after graduation. Maggie has a passion for mental health and sports and wants to help others. Maggie enjoys traveling, dogs and is currently  training for a strongman competition.

Dr. Mo, (Melissa Dittberner), PhD, CPS, LMT, is a lecturer in the Addiction Counseling and Prevention department at the University of South Dakota. She has a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychology in Education, a master's in Addiction Studies and a bachelor's in Health Sciences. Dr. Mo is a prevention specialist. She does research on college students' substance use, pedagogy, addiction and harm reduction. Dr. Mo has worked on grants surrounding substance use disorders, harm reduction, continuing education, telehealth, recovery support, tattoos and much more.She speaks publicly on adaptability, resiliency, and sustainability, screening, prevention, harm reduction, motivation as well as her own lived experience story. Dr. Mo is a person in long-term recovery from trauma, abuse and addiction. Dr. Mo's Mission: to help people learn to help themselves.

Natasha Petry, PharmD, MPH, BCACP, is an Associate Professor of Practice at North Dakota State University (NDSU), and a Pharmacogenomics Clinical Pharmacist at Sanford Health Imagenetics, both in Fargo, ND. She also serves as the Residency Program Director for Sanford Health Imagenetics' Post-graduate Year 2 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Residency program. She completed a B.S. in Microbiology, Pharm.D., and MPH all from NDSU in Fargo. Dr. Petry completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at Trinity Health in Minot, ND.Dr. Petry's practice and research interests include the implementation of pharmacogenomics (PGx), the use of pre-emptive genetic tests as population screening tools, and PGx educational and training initiatives. She is licensed to practice pharmacy in ND, MN, WI and IN and is a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist. She has been working in the area of pharmacogenomics since 2014.In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and cheering on her favorite sports teams.

Tim Neyhart has a B.S. in Secondary Education. He has been an active member of a number of disability policy work groups concerning special education, mental health, vocational rehabilitation, and other related topics. He is the past chair of the Service to the Blind and Visually Impaired Rehabilitation Advisory Council, past member of the Division of the Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council, etc. In 1998, Tim was identified as the Governor's Advisory Council Distinguished Service Award.Tim began his career with DRSD on January 1, 1990. He is now the Executive Director. He says that he likes helping people to identify the things that are important to them and assisting them to achieve those things.

Lance Johnson is from Webster, SD, graduated from Webster High School and raised on a farm Northwest of Webster – grain and beef. Lance graduated from South Dakota State University with a Major in Dairy Manufacturing. Lance has been in the dairy industry for 36 years and working at Valley Queen Cheese Factory in Milbank, SD for 26 years doing primarily production and engineering. Lance is married to his wife Dine (pronounced Deena), has 4 kids – ages range 19 to 31 years old.

Cara Hetland has 33 years in public radio as a reporter, producer and News Director and manager.  Over the years she has told many stories about South Dakota. Hetland also teaches media writing and law at the University of Sioux Falls and enjoys working with interns to develop their own style of storytelling. She lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, Daren and three daughters.

Laurie Knutson has been in the Sioux Falls community for over 30 years, serving the non-profit world in a variety of leadership capacities.  She has been a board member to organizations like Avera McKennan, The Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, and her church, as well as many social organizations like Kiwanis and the President's Bowl.  After serving as the CEO of EmBe for 11 years, she now has her own business called The Interim CEO which allows her to use her leadership skills and knowledge within a variety of organizations.  In that sense, she is currently serving at the Interim Executive Director of the Multi-Cultural Center of Sioux Falls.

Frank Kloucek graduated in 1974 from Scotland High School and 1978 as an SDSU graduate where he double majored in animal science and general agriculture. His wife Joanie is a dietary manager at a local hospital, and he has four adult children: Jennifer, Michelle, Kimberlee, Jared, and seven grandchildren. Frank ran the family farm in Bon Homme County, and was a State Senator for 16 years and State Representative for 6 years for District 19.

Janet Kittams is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Helpline Center.  She has been with agency for over 20 years in a variety of leadership roles beginning as a volunteer.  She received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of South Dakota and her Master's Degree in Counseling from the University of North Dakota and is a licensed professional counselor.Her experience includes serving as a leader in statewide efforts surrounding suicide prevention, expanding the 211 system to become statewide in 2020, and building the Helpline Center to work as a collaborative partner on a variety of social service and health care issues.

Danae Kirschman is a volunteer for NAMI Aberdeen. She is trained as a Basics teacher, Ending the Silence presenter, and Connections Facilitator. She is an advocate for mental health and our friend! 

Wendy Mamer is a dedicated community member who thrives by meeting people, being with people, and hearing their stories. Wendy embodies a vulnerability-centered approach, both personally and professionally. Wendy has the honor of serving as the Assistant Director of Admission at Augustana University.  While at Augustana, Wendy helped bring the first ever student-led mental health group to campus, which she is currently the advisor for.  Outside of her time at Augustana, Wendy enjoys spending time with her husband, Kyle and their two puppies, Milli and Milo. Wendy also serves on a local non-profit board for Sad Isn't Bad, which provides free grief counseling to youth and those who care for them. She has been the on-court emcee for the Sioux Falls Skyforce for the past 5 seasons and she also was selected as a TEDx Sioux Falls speaker where she delivered the talk "Survivor of Suicide Loss: A Title I Never Wanted.

Caitlin Irish is a senior nursing student at SDSU and has been volunteering for NAMI since 2019. In her free time, she can be found writing, quilting, and playing with her emotional support hedgehog, Bobbin.

Mike Cuperus graduated from Augsburg University in Minneapolis with a bachelors degree in marketing and is currently pursuing a masters in business administration from the University of Sioux Falls.Mike has been involved in Sales and Marketing for the last 17 years -- most recently as the Marketing Manager for an animal health company in Minnesota. Mike has also helped as the assistant wrestling coach at Hunter College in NYC, and also a volunteer coach with Beat the Streets New York, a non-profit organization that offers free wrestling programs for urban youth.Currently, Mike lives in Sioux Falls with his wife and 3 small children ages 6, 3, and 3. He has been recently hired to represent NAMI SD as their development manager!

Frederick Osborn holds an MBA from Marylhurst University, as well as a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration and Juris Doctor from Creighton University. Mr. Osborn has over 17 years' experience in all phases of curriculum development, both traditional and online, including program design and implementation at the post-secondary level. His teaching experience includes Business, Computer Software, Economics, Humanities, Law, and Real Estate at Pioneer Pacific College, Chemeketa Community College, and Linfield University. Most recently as Chief Academic Officer and Title IX Coordinator for Pioneer Pacific College, Mr. Osborn supervised all faculty and academic standards while serving as direct liaison with both federal and state government agencies.

Dr. Oyen is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of South Dakota. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Oyen was a practicing rural school psychologist for ten years. Dr. Oyen is a state coordinator for the Multi-tiered Systems of Support/Positive Behavior Interventions and Support project in the State of South Dakota and sat on the Special Education Interim Legislative Committee as a Governor appointee. Dr. Oyen's research focuses on risk and protective factors that lead to student outcomes as well as the role of advocacy in public service settings. Her peer-reviewed research has been published in Contemporary School Psychology, School Psychology Review, Psychological Services, and The Rural Educator. In addition, she is a Past-President and Past-Chair of Government Professional Relations for the South Dakota Association of School Psychologists.Dr. Oyen is very actively involved in the National Association of School Psychologists as the Chair of the Government Professional Relations Committee. She is looked to as a national advocate for the role of rural school psychologists. Dr. Oyen has multiple chapters in scholarly edited books regarding the practice of Rural School Psychology. In addition, Dr. Oyen also sat on the taskforce to address the national shortage of school psychologists, sat on the writing team for the 2020 revision of the NASP practice model, and sat on the National Advisory Committee for the updates to the School Psychologists Praxis Exam.In 2014, Dr. Oyen received the University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine Distinguished Service Award from the Center for Disabilities for her contributions to the field of disabilities. She also received the School Psychologist of the Year Award by the South Dakota Association of School Psychologists in 2015. Dr. Oyen was also awarded a competitive summer training grant to examine factors related to child maltreatment in South Dakota, a SD Community Foundation Innovation grant to study the profiles of children who experience maltreatment in rural settings, and most recently, a SAMHSA Disaster Relief grant in collaboration with the SD Department of Social Services to address Crisis Prevention and Response in Schools.

Marilyn Charging is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota. She is a retired school administrator, devoted mother and grandmother, and a sewing enthusiast. She is also the Education and Outreach Consultant for NAMI South Dakota and on a co-hort group implementing the NAMI program FaithNet.

Darla Biel earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS, a M.A. and M.F.A. in English from Iowa State University and Pacific University respectively, and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from Indiana University. She expects to complete her Certificate in Child & Adult Advocacy Studies from the University of South Dakota in Dec. 2021.Biel taught writing courses at GrandView College and Iowa State University before teaching at South Dakota State University, where she also collaborated with colleagues across disciplines on sustained creative and research projects. After leaving higher education, Biel became Executive Director at the Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program (BCYMP), where she implemented evidence-based best practices, aligned and assessed BCYMP using the Developmental Relationship Framework, increased Mentors' capacity to serve Mentees with ACES, and led BCYMP to becoming one of only 33 mentoring programs nationally to earn a Disability Mentoring Certificate.Biel also served on the facilitating team that led Brookings County residents through the Resilient Communities: South Dakota process and is passionate about helping other communities increase their capacity to collectively know, respond to and prevent child maltreatment. In addition to serving on a Rotary District 5610 committee that works to increase awareness of human trafficking and the correlation between ACES and victimization, Biel serves on the boards of Ascension Lutheran Church in Brookings, the South Dakota State Poetry Society, and the South Dakota Nonprofit Network. She lives in Brookings with her husband, Marc. They have five children.

Emily Meier is a senior at Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD, where she serves as the Chief Communications Officer in the Student Government Association. She is also part of the Honors Program and is a recipient of a grant from the Bush Foundation and the National Arts Strategies Change Network, with which she is working to create broader access to mental health care for NSU students. 

Jett Jonelis is the advocacy manager for the ACLU of South Dakota. As the advocacy manager, Jett builds the ACLU's public education and advocacy programs through coalition-building, leadership development, communication, and lobbying. They ensure that supporters of the ACLU of South Dakota have the tools, information, and opportunities to be effective advocates on issues like LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit rights, Indigenous justice, and criminal justice reform.Prior to joining the ACLU, Jett served as an AmeriCorps VISTA and Public Ally in their hometown of New Haven, Conn. During their program years, they worked in community organizing and capacity building for New Haven Legal Assistance Association and Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven. They also volunteered with community placemaking organizations and engaged in organizing around ending police violence, increasing access to safe and truly affordable housing, and decriminalizing homelessness.Jett recently graduated with a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. At Maxwell, Jett worked on initiatives aimed at developing anti-racism and anti-oppression curriculum for the Public Administration and International Affairs Program. They graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Southern Connecticut State University where they served on the board for the Opportunities for Women's Leadership Series.Jett is dedicated to working in community with activists, organizers, and changemakers across the state to create a more just and equitable world for all South Dakotans.

For more than 12 years, Lindsay Neth has been providing services for individuals with mental health needs. She has worked in an inpatient mental health hospital, a partial hospitalization program, and in outpatient clinics. A primary mission has been seeing clients as/when they need support and assistance.As a therapist, a mom of 3 active and chaotic kids, a wife and various other roles, Lindsay personally understands the feeling when being faced with stressors. 

Tonya Derdall graduated in 1995 from SDSU with a Bachelors in Human Services Child Development. She is now a licensed alcohol and drug counselor who has worked in the field of human services for over 20 years. 11 of those years have been with the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe as the Director of the Boys and Girls Club and Partnership for Success.Tonya currently resides on a small acreage outside of Pukwana with her husband and horses and dogs. 

Sara Foust is the Director of Codington County Welfare in Watertown. She has been a Social Worker for over 20 years and is passionate about bringing positive changes through community development. When not at work, Sara enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 sons. She also enjoys many hobbies including directing and acting in plays at Town Players.