Alex Sheehan
Nominated by NAMI Washington
Member, NAMI Pierce County (WA)
Listen to Alex's Candidate Speech
Job Title or Position:
- Behavioral Health Program Manager; Mental Health Activist; Re-Entry Specialist; Doctoral Student; Health Policy Research Scholar
NAMI Leadership Experience:
- NAMI Pierce County Board (2018-Present); NAMI Washington Board (2021-Present)
NAMI Program Leader Experience:
- NAMI Family-to-Family, NAMI Ending the Silence, NAMI Family Support Group
Additional NAMI Involvement:
- I am trained to deliver all three forms of NAMI Ending the Silence (Staff, Families, Students). I am currently an inaugural member of the NAMI National Grasstops Advocacy Pilot Program. Annual participation in NAMIWalks, Brainpower Chronicles, and NAMI Lobby Day.
Board Service:
- Guided Pathways Support for Youth & Families (2019-2024); Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care (2022-Present)
Public Service:
- King County Behavioral Health Advisory Board (2019-2024) - [Councilperson appointee]
Relationship to Mental Health:
- Individual with first-person experience of mental illness, Family member or direct support of someone with mental illness, Non-profit advocate
Candidate Strengths Assessment
The candidate indicated they have experience in the following areas that will help NAMI achieve its mission and strategic goals:
- Advocacy, Business/Nonprofit Administration, Business/Nonprofit Leadership, Criminal Justice, Mental Health Service/Support, Program Research/Evaluation, Research/Academia
The candidate indicated they have connections and networks in the following areas:
- Criminal Justice, Human Resources/Personnel, Legal/Law, Lobbying, Philanthropy, Politics/Elected Officials, Social Media
Candidate Leadership Style
The candidate indicated the following descriptors represent their leadership style:
- Action-oriented, Consensus Builder, Data Driven, Innovator, Outcome-oriented, Peacemaker, Process Thinker, Risk Taker, Team Player
Candidate Narrative
The candidate indicated specific skill areas identified as high priority for the 2024-2025 Board where they excel and additional skill areas that would be an asset to the NAMI Board:
Diversity of Age, national geography, and experience; knowledge of philanthropic community and record with donor cultivation; Criminal Justice (10 years working in corrections, law enforcement, and re-entry); Experience with social media and information technology.
Having served in a variety of leadership roles and on several boards, Alex knows and understands parliamentary procedures, Robert’s Rules of Order, and how to be an excellent board member. He also has experience fostering and building cross-sector connections and relationships; knowledge and experience with local, state, and federal advocacy; as well as project/program management and LEAN processes.
I personally have helped advance the NAMI mission in my community by...
Assisting over 200 clients on community supervision get connected to local NAMI resources and affiliates as part of societal reintegration; Signature Program Leader for NAMI Family-to-Family, NAMI Family Support Group, and all three variations of NAMI Ending the Silence; NAMI Pierce County Board Member since 2018; worked to help double NAMI Pierce volunteer base since 2018; NAMI Washington Board Member since 2021; Member of inaugural NAMI National Grasstops Advocacy Pilot Program since 2023.
I work well in coordination with other leaders to accomplish goals as evidenced by...
I have worked my way up the NAMI line of leadership and have been able to successfully do this working in coordination with other NAMI leaders, both board members and staff alike, since 2018. Because of NAMI, I have grown the courage to share my personal lived experience and professional journey ignited by my passion and experience for mental health advocacy at all levels of government. Additionally, my ability to foster cross-sector collaboration for the advancement of equitable mental health policies supports my ability to work in coordination and collaboration with other leaders.