Katie Brennan is a former finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year, with a Masters Degree in Education and 48 additional upper division graduate credits in Education and English. During her 20 year teaching career, Katie taught high school English, including English for college credit. Katie is a woman of strong faith and the mother of six children and nine grandchildren. At age 48, with no history of mental illness, Katie was prescribed Ambien and Prozac during a stressful job transition and developed crippling akathisia. While suffering from akathisia, Katie was misdiagnosed as mentally ill, which led to three wrongful civil commitments within five years. These commitments justified the continued inappropriate and harmful use of the psychiatric medications causing the akathisia, perpetuating her suffering for an agonizing seven years. She has been in an ongoing legal battle since 2021, in both federal and state court, to vacate the wrongful civil commitments and restore her reputation, her dignity, and her civil and constitutional rights. Katie’s journey has taught her that her experiences in the mental health system, in which akathisia and other life-threatening medication reactions are often dismissed and ignored, are not unique. Katie, who is alive by the grace of God, is now dedicated to raising awareness of akathisia to prevent more needless suffering, offer hope, and save lives. She also advocates for better training on akathisia for providers, social workers, and court officers and the need for oversight and accountability in civil commitment proceedings.

Derek Blumke is a writer, consultant, and veteran advocate dedicated to improving mental health outcomes and reducing avoidable harm. He served more than a decade in the U.S. Armed Forces and Michigan Air National Guard, and co-founded Student Veterans of America, Derek’s work now includes helping veterans who were harmed by the treatments meant to heal them, a journey he personally understands.

Wendy Dolin is a licensed family therapist and the founder of MISSD. Widely recognized for her public health advocacy and education, Wendy has received humanitarian honors for her work helping both the public and medical community recognize akathisia — before tragedy occurs. Though honored by such recognition, the messages she receives from people who say MISSD helped them identify akathisia in time to seek appropriate care, mean more than any award.