25: Alexa James - CEO, NAMI Chicago: Key Insights on Mental Health Advocacy and Support

Alexa James is the CEO of NAMI Chicago, the Chicagoland chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness -  the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Since assuming the role in 2020, she's played an integral role in influencing mental health policies and initiatives in the nation's 3rd largest city.

We were fortunate to speak with Alexa on a broad variety of topics, including:

• What led her on the path to a career in healthcare in NAMI Chicago
• The challenges of combatting mental health in Chicago (i.e., financial, organizational, cultural) versus Los Angeles and other metropolitan areas
• Steps NAMI Chicago is taking to build a culture of wellness
• The double-edged sword of social media in managing mental health

For more information:

• NAMI Chicago: namichicago.org
• Shelly Sood: shellysood.com
• The Shelly Story (podcast): theshellystory.com