On October 26th, NAMI NH Executive Director Susan Stearns was recognized by the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester with the 2026 Wheelock-Nardi Advocacy Award – an honor presented annually in recognition of an individual or organization that exemplifies a high standard of commitment and advocacy for those with mental illness. In accepting this award, Susan shared these remarks and reflections:
“First, thank you to all the staff at the Mental Health Center. You and your colleagues across the state provide families like mine with hope on some of our darkest days.
“It is an honor to receive this award from my friends and colleagues at the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester. I am humbled to find myself among the list of previous award winners, many of whom have been mentors, colleagues, and friends to me.
“I want to acknowledge my adult children who gave me the best job ever—being their mom. And I want to thank my partner of 27 years, John, for supporting me and my work. He makes sure I eat real food, reminds me to take care of myself, provides me with fashion advice, reviews drafts of documents for me, and even acts as an early morning alarm, waking me with an ‘Are you awake? I’m worried about NAMI.’
“Then there are all of you. I am incredibly fortunate that I get to work with amazing advocates across our state, as well as folks from NAMIs across the country. And I am truly blessed to work alongside our NAMI NH staff and volunteers. These folks are resolute in their advocacy for people with mental illness to be able to live full lives in the community free from discrimination. Truly, there are a lot of advocates doing incredible work in the Granite State. Today, there were zero adults boarding in emergency departments. Zero waiting subject to an involuntary emergency admission. Zero waiting in correctional facilities. Zero subject to a conditional discharge revocation. That’s because of all of you, sharing your stories, and advocating for change.
“So, why me? Why am I being recognized tonight? When Patricia told me back in June that I was going to receive the Wheelock-Nardi Award, I was taken aback.
“I live 30 minutes north of Concord, straight up 93. I head south toward the golden dome of the State House in the morning and north toward the purpling mountains in the evening dusk. It’s good thinking time. Good for mulling over a question – what did I do to receive this award? Truthfully, over the past couple of years, there have been a few times when I have been… direct. But I have certainly not been the only one. These are challenging times in our field, with policies being enacted that create barriers to accessing care and attempts to erode services and protections people with mental illness rely upon. These are times that require us to be direct.
“After a bit of driving and mulling, I finally came to the conclusion that I must have just been the biggest noodge this year.
“At NAMI NH we talk a lot about hope. But as Jane Goodall said, hope is often misunderstood as something passive, like wishing for something to happen. Hope isn’t pretending everything is fine. Hope is deciding it’s worth fighting for. So, given my status as the biggest noodge, I shall end by being direct and asking you all to let your hope lead you to compassionate action:
“Support mental health in our state. Check in and ask if your loved ones, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbors are okay. NH Rapid Response and 988 are available 24/7. And remember, asking for help is an essential life skill. Be kind to yourself and one another. This is not a sprint, nor a marathon. It’s a relay race. So, carry the baton forward, and when you need to rest, pass it off to another advocate. We are all in this together.
“Keep sharing your story. Your story can change hearts and minds, and remind others they are not alone. Go to the Take Action page on the NAMI NH website. Sign up for our Public Policy alerts, which will let you know about bills that NAMI NH is following. We can help you figure out the best way for you to be involved, from contacting your representatives, submitting testimony online, or coming to Concord to testify.
“Come be a noodge with me because we are all worth fighting for. And hope starts with all of us.“
