What it means to
Make It OK
About Make It OK
Make It OK is a community campaign to end the stigma surrounding mental health and illnesses. Across the country, thousands of our ambassadors and community partners open the door to increased understanding and caring conversations about mental health every day.
Our mission
We’re on a mission to change attitudes about mental health and champion a commitment to mental well-being for all. We want to Make It OK to talk about mental health and illnesses so people of all ages, races, genders and identities feel empowered to get the support and care they deserve.
Launched in collaboration with HealthPartners, Regions Hospital, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Minnesota and other community partners, Make It OK provides communities with mental health support through engagement, ambassadors, resources and online tools — including tool kits, virtual presentations and trainings.
Since we began in 2012 worksites, neighborhoods, faith communities, entire counties and even the whole state of Iowa have inspired change throughout their communities and networks. With over 5,000+ trained ambassadors and counting, the reach of Make It OK continues to expand nationwide.
What we do
Since 2012 Make It OK has worked to change attitudes and end the stigma surrounding mental health and illnesses in four key ways.
Education and support
We reduce stigma by growing understanding of mental health and illnesses and combating myths with facts. We do this by sharing tips for talking, interactive tools to help practice supporting others, real stories of people’s lived experiences with a mental illness, resources for support and more.
Community outreach
We help create caring and informed communities by offering free, virtual Make It OK ambassador trainings, presentations to help talk more openly about mental health and illnesses, community events and tools to help people thrive.
Promotion and campaign tools
We provide resources and free, customizable, downloadable tool kits so workplaces and communities of all kinds raise awareness about the stigma of mental health and even launch their own Make It OK campaign.
Community partnership
We work together with community partners and an active, diverse advisory committee that helps inform and guide Make It OK’s direction.
Make It OK Steering Committee members:
Marna Canterbury
Pahoua Hoffman
Sarah Cassell
Sue Abderholden
Pete VanDusartz
Stephanie Kovarik
Denise Sykora
Deanne Varner
Andrea Anderson
Dr. Khu Thao
Anna Jepson
Jackie Edwards
Heather Erickson
Dr. Brian Palmer
Sallie Scovill
Gladis Vlada
Jami Haberl
Brianna Sink
Carmen Hansen
Marilyn Heskin
Marina Olson
Mary Holland
Gina Johnson
Jennifer House
Karly Horn
Karen Johnson
Shannon Jorgenson
Tracy Marquardt
Jennifer Holper
Wendy Waddell
Brent Carlson
Renee Penticoff
Julie Zaruba-Fountaine
Jade Hipp
Laura Smith
Molly Peterson
Our partners
Make It OK is made possible by HealthPartners in partnership with:
- Amery Hospital & Clinic
- Canvas Health
- Center for Community Health
- Crow Wing Energized
- Dakota County Public Health
- East Metro Mental Health Roundtable
- Goodhue County Public Health
- Guild Inc.
- Healthier Together – Pierce and St. Croix Counties
- Hudson Hospital & Clinic
- Hutchinson Health
- Iowa Healthiest State Initiative
- Lakeview Hospital
- Melrose Center
- Mental Health Task Force of Polk County
- Mental Wellness Campaign Anoka County
- Minnesota Public Radio/APM
- NAMI Minnesota
- Northland Healthy Minds
- Olivia Hospital & Clinic
- Park Nicollet Foundation
- People Incorporated
- PrairieCare Hospital and Clinics
- Ramsey County Public Health
- Regions Hospital
- St. Cloud Wellbeing Initiative
- Twin Cities Public Television
- University of Minnesota Boynton Center
- University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
- Washington County Public Health and Environment
- Westfields Hospital & Clinic