JoAnne Mandel
PMHCNS, LMSW, RN
InnerWisdom began with a dream. JoAnne wanted to help people, especially those whose life was nothing but a hard time. Those who most of us would rather look the other way than look them in the eye and ask, “What’s your name? How are you?” Questions she would ask, not trivially.
As plain as they are, these questions were profound in the context she was asking. How one was and how one said their name was the first glimpse into their heart and mind. She cared. She believed that it was her responsibility to care. And, if she could find other people who truly cared about people’s welfare, she and they would work together and turn that care into the power to heal.
JoAnne used to say there are difficult things to do – things you really don’t want to do, but you need to. Good people know how to put their wants aside and care for their needs. She would say, “You do things because you have to.”
This mindset was built into her DNA. It literally guided her decision-making. People would remark that she sacrifices so much for nothing. That was a popular view. She totally disagreed. In this regard, she was a rebel. She was a proud rebel. In her words, “I’m red-headed for a reason!” And, although she was too humble to view herself this way, she fit the definition of a saint. It was built into her DNA – who she was at InnerWisdom was who she was everywhere. Selfless, compassionate, and helpful.
InnerWisdom was just her making a career out of her passion. Despite the struggles—working full time as a nurse, going to social work school, raising a family as a single mother, working in a field she once called “the abandoned child of our country”, stigmatism, disparate regulations, and a politically unmotivated government—she did what needed to be done.
It was almost as if the harder it was, the less the world cared, the more important it became for her to help people.
InnerWisdom began boldly. 1984, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that the cause of AIDS had been discovered and there was no known cure. If you were a man diagnosed with AIDS, you were essentially a dead man walking. It was a death sentence. Government initiatives to educate the public were set up, as well as support programs for those who had AIDS. But the public was hostile toward anyone who had it and the stigma penetrated every aspect of life. Many people had little respect for gay life and would consider the world better off without it. Some would even say it was God’s way of punishing the sinful.
JoAnne took a stand and opened her heart and mind to help anyone needing to learn to cope with the disease. It took some time; it was a turbulent time in mental health. But in 1988, she formalized her efforts under the idea that everyone possesses the power to transform their lives despite the underlying conditions. She called it InnerWisdom.
In 1994, she founded the River Oaks Health Association, H.E.L.P Housing Initiative, which was a multi-phased housing initiative for HIV+ who were committed to living with, rather than dying from, the disease. It was incredibly successful and underscored an important step in the transformative process: accepting who you are.
From there, she became a powerhouse in the field of mental health.
In 1998, she became the President of the Texas Association of Behavioral Health (TABH).
In 2000, she founded NewSpirit, a non-profit whose mission is to collaborate with like-minded organizations to improve mental health services, advocate for mental health, and improve mental health through public policy, research, and development.
In 2001, she joined the Association of Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare (AABH) board of directors. From there, she expanded InnerWisdom to serve individuals suffering from chronic and persistent mental illness.
As a girl growing up in the rural farming life of Hartley, Iowa, to the grind of nurse rotations at The Women’s Hospital of Texas, from RN to LMSW to Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, JoAnne gave her life to what she needed to and loved it.
Today, JoAnne’s legacy continues as InnerWisdom serves between 50 and 100 people every day.