Recovery is Possible
As you may have heard, the McClendon Center has recently completed an executive leadership transition. It’s an honor to announce that I, Sheandinita Dyson, have been appointed as McClendon Center’s interim President and CEO, while Michael Burt has been promoted to Senior Director and Chief of Staff.
Michael and I have had the enormous privilege of working at McClendon for over a decade. In that time we’ve teamed directly with clients, staff, and partners to empower people on the journey to becoming their best selves. We’ve grown tremendously as people and professionals and couldn’t be more excited about the future.
I look forward to sharing more with you about my leadership philosophy, goals, and plans for the Center. Stay tuned for updates on how you can help transform lives together with our staff, clients, and community.
As you know, over 95% of our clients are African American and the overwhelming majority are low-income and live in Wards 7 & 8. Because of this, I want to draw your attention to the fact that July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness month.
Communities of color are notorious for stigmatizing mental illness as a character flaw instead of acknowledging that it’s a legitimate health issue, and that’s not okay.
McClendon Center exists as a safe space for people recovering from mental illness because prejudice (and the threat of violence) is an everyday challenge for our clients. It’s becoming easier for people of color to speak publicly about mental health struggles, but we still have a long way to go.
Let’s continue to educate and keep the pressure on lawmakers and each other to support the mental health treatment and recovery efforts necessary for healing those most in need. If you are a person of color, please know that struggling with mental health is nothing to be ashamed of.
No human is immune from depression, anxiety, or addiction. These are universal challenges that affect us all, whether we’re comfortable talking about it or not.
Help us on our quest to destigmatize mental illness and protect our clients from the prejudice and harassment they face each day. Even a small gift can help change someone’s life today.
With gratitude,
Sheandinita Dyson
Interim President & CEO
