2022: A Year in Review

By Dani Rischall, Chrysalis Executive Director

2022 definitely threw us some curveballs. With the incredible support of our staff, board, participants, and community we were able to close out the year strong. This past year we really focused on our workplace wellness efforts and practices of community care. Through our current programming we fostered new relationships, supported new jobs, and promoted purpose, and belonging.

To help with accountability and transparency we created Strategic Planning Dashboards each quarter. These tools highlight efforts made in our four Strategic Plan Pillars. (1) Equity, Inclusion, Diversity & Stigma Busting, (2) Community Building & Advocacy, (3) Organizational, and (4) Programming.

Take a look below to learn more about all the incredible work happening throughout the Chrysalis community and thank you for everything you have done (and continue to do) to support these efforts!

If you have any questions about these tools or the specific work please feel free to reach out via email at rischall@workwithchrysalis.org, I’d love to connect!

Chrysalis Clubhouse Collaborative Art

Mental Health and Employment: Workplace Accommodations

By Andrew Lopez

I’ve known about the Americans With Disabilities Act for quite some time but didn’t think it applied to me with my mental health difficulties. It wasn’t until I reached my 30s that I realized that mental health diagnosis his account as federal really recognized disabilities. This is important because it means that myself and others with mental health diagnosis is were entitled to the same rights as others under ADA law. 

According to ADA.gov:
“The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs.

A person with a disability is someone who:

-has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,

-has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission), or

-is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn).

If a person falls into any of these categories, the ADA protects them. Because the ADA is a law, and not a benefit program, you do not need to apply for coverage”

While this applies in many areas we are going to be talking today about title I which covers employment. Under this article in the law individuals are entitled to reasonable accommodations at the workplace. What this means is that as long as an individual can still reach the same outcomes as other employees they have a right to get modifications in the way they perform their job in order to accommodate for the challenges created by the disability. For somebody with a physical disability who uses a wheelchair this could be a ramp area for somebody with mental health challenges the accommodations vary greatly depending on the needs of the individual. These accommodations can be requested through writing or verbally however is recommended that they be done in writing to keep an official record in case their disputes. The term reasonable means that if the employer has to spend too much money or change the nature of the work that the position requires, the accommodation requested may not be reasonable and thus the employer does not have to make the accommodation in this situation. The employer employee has a right to negotiate about the accommodation to find something that’s mutually acceptable. Because this is a matter of law disputes are often resolved in courtrooms. Firing somebody for requesting accommodation is not legal. This is a very basic description and oversimplified. If you would like more information about the Americans with disability act title I please refer to the links seen at the end of the article.


I interviewed a member of the Chrysalis Consumer Advisory Committee named Amber Nelson. She offered to talk about her experience with requesting a reasonable accommodation. I asked her the following questions and got these responses.


How did you learn about ADA accommodations?


“When I requested help from the Dane County Division of Vocational Rehabilitation services I had a counselor who introduced me to the idea of accommodations under ADA law. This counselor is very helpful and helped me to get an accommodation.  At the time I was working as a cashier and the accommodation requested was a stool to help me work a long shift without having to stand the entire time.”

What was your experience like with accommodations before this situation?


“I was very often worried about getting fired. I felt that most of my jobs were imperiled by the challenges created by my mental health disability. Every single one of my previous jobs I had these concerns.

When I first requested reasonable accommodation it was initially denied and I almost lost my job.This was especially difficult as I felt my disability impaired my ability to make the request.At the time I was working for McDonald’s as a cashier.”


How did you go about getting the accommodation in this situation?

“I asked for my accommodation verbally. At this job at McDonald’s I requested taking breaks during my shift and the ability to take days off when needed.”

 Do you feel like your needs were met?


“Yes initially, but I ended up leaving this position because the pace of the job was too fast for me. I found another job at a moving company as a secretary and office assistant.”

What advice would you give to somebody looking to get accommodation for their job?

“I recommend talking to the general manager or another high up position at the company that you’re working for to set up a meeting to talk about the reasonable accommodation as my experience working with lower-level managers on this issue has been unsatisfactory.”


To learn more about the Americans With Disabilities Act and title I please check out the following resources:

Disability Rights Wisconsin: http://www.disabilityrightswi.org/resources/employment/

Ada.gov: https://www.ada.gov/ada_title_I.htm

Job Accommodation Network: https://askjan.org/

EEOC: https://www.eeoc.gov/

Access to Independence:   Accesstoind.org

DVR: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dvr/

My Experience with S.A.D.

By Andrew Lopez

Seasonal affective disorder is a condition that affects many people. What it means is that an affected individual will feel increased mental health symptoms including things like anxiety and depression during a particular season. While this is most commonly associated with winter it can be other seasons as well. In my case (and in many others) Winter is especially hard because of the shorter amount of daylight hours and the increased amount of cloud cover which blocks sunlight. For other individuals changes in the temperature can also trigger SAD.

I experience abnormally high amounts of my depression symptoms including loss of hope, loss of motivation, feeling numb, and having a significant loss of energy. I also get interruptions to my sleep schedule and overall less sleep. Self-care for seasonal affective disorder can vary greatly and I encourage people to talk with both their doctors and their mental health professionals about different treatments. I use a SAD light (otherwise known as a full-spectrum light).  This is light that imitates the light we experience from the sun. I use mine for anywhere from 30 minutes to 60 minutes a day and do notice a small but significant decrease in my symptoms. To counter some of the sleep-related issues I take a melatonin tablet an hour before bedtime and this helps me get restful sleep. Getting regular exercise also helps.

I hope those reading this understand that this is a very common condition and that if you’re experiencing the symptoms you’re not alone. As with any mental health condition I hope you’re all able to walk your own paths to recovery and consider the different options for treatment.

Employability and Mental Health

By Kurt Stapleton

For my Sociology class: Race and Minority Groups, we were asked to pick a “private problem” and  briefly describe the following:

-What factors/evidence would you use to explain how and why it may reflect a structural problem in society?
-What are some potential solutions to this problem, both for the individual and the group to which they belong?
-Which theoretical perspective lens would you apply to solve this issue: functionalism, conflict theory, or symbolic interactionism? Why?

I chose to write about people with a mental health diagnosis and the stigma that they are not “employable” and other stigmas society has created. 

There was a belief that those who live with mental health challenges are not employable or capable of holding a job. This was the common belief for many people; that someone with a mental health disability could not hold meaningful employment or, at the very least, they would only be able to do minimal task employment such as janitorial, cleaning, or low-level skills jobs. Society has had this view for as long as mental health has been around. It falls mostly on the shoulders of employers, doctors and mental health care providers, however, those who hear it, believe it, and preach it are also at fault. Symbolic interactionism is the theory that comes to mind when thinking about this. For years, society placed this label on those with MHC (mental health challenges) that they were not capable of working and people believed this. Stigma plays a large role in this as people with MHC are thought to be lazy, not motivated or not ambitious. Another belief was that they could not handle stress and lacked coping skills to get through certain challenges. It is true that there are barriers for some, yet we have programs to help teach these skills and support them through the process of seeking employment.

Katherine Ponte writes (NAMI, 2019) people with MHC may be unemployed because:

“The debilitating impacts of mental illness. 

The fear of having to explain my spotty resume due to multiple hospitalizations and depressive episodes. 

The awareness that nothing I had done before I got sick seemed to count.
The prospect of having to start over.
The stigma that told me I could not work.” Society has been telling us for years that they are not able to do work. Thankfully, society is changing and accepting these changes. 

We are seeing how common it is to have a mental health challenge and how anyone can work and hold meaningful, good paying jobs no matter their mental health status with programs like supported employment, clubhouses and employers that are willing to work with individuals and their challenges. Companies are investing in workplace initiatives to have more diversity, equity and inclusion programs and are hiring people with mental health and physical disabilities and minorities in general. 

People are also becoming more confidant in their abilities and are self-employed as well. John’s Crazy Socks is a great example of this. Mark (father) was building an online business when his son, John who has down syndrome, said he wanted go into business with his dad. After realizing he did not have many options after he finished school, John thought of the idea of having a food truck but they both realized they couldn’t cook. So, John said “Let’s sell socks!”. And so, they created their business. 

We are learning, as a society, that people with mental health challenges can work meaningful jobs, they can do volunteer work and be very productive members of society. Simply because they have a disability does not mean they have to sit on the bench and not be a part of the team. In fact, they can be the quarterback, running back or whatever position they choose. 

Voting Q&A

By Amy and Erik

November 8th, 2022 is ELECTION DAY! Voting can be a confusing and sometimes intimidating experience. Clubhouse Member Erik and Chrysalis Staff Person Amy Y teamed up to answer some common voting questions! Both Amy and Erik have worked the polls on Election Days and hope to provide some guidance and support to the process! It’s most important that those who want to vote know how, have access to voting, and feel empowered to cast that ballot!

Q: Where do I register and how?  

A: You can register to vote at any library or at the City Clerk’s Office at 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard or online at: myvote.wi.gov. You can also register to vote at your polling location on the day of the election. Use the link to make sure you bring any required documents! Polling place workers are super friendly and really want to help you! Head into your polling location and they will walk through each step with you.

Q: Where do I vote?    

A: You can find your polling place by visiting myvote.wi.gov. Polling locations are often in community centers, local organizations like churches, and schools. Sometimes polling locations change so it’s always good to look up your location before you leave!

Q: Can someone help me vote?  

A: Yes! All polling locations are ADA accessible and have various forms of accessible voting technology. You may bring someone with you to assist you with voting, they just need to sign in that they are helping you. All polling locations must comply with your request to vote curbside as well if you’re not able to leave your vehicle. The Chief Inspector at each polling location is there to make sure you have full access to voting and that all poll workers understand your rights. If you feel there is an error, make sure to speak to the Chief Inspector!

Q: What if I forget my ID?  

A: If you’re registering to vote for the first time, you will need a photo ID and proof of residence (i.e. a utility bill, a bank statement, a government document, etc.). You will not be able to register without this document. If you are registered and forget your ID, you can still cast your ballot but it won’t be counted until you return with your ID. Poll workers will share all of your options to show your ID for this Provisional Ballot option. 

Q: What time do polls open?  

A: Polls open at 7:00 am and stay open until 8:00 pm. If you are in line to vote at 8pm, you are eligible to vote!

Q: Where do I vote if I’ve recently moved?

A: If you have moved in the last 28 days before election day, you will need to register and vote at your previous address. If you have lived in your dwelling for more than 28 days before election day, you will vote at your new location.

Q: How can I support the election?  

A: There are many ways to support local elections. You could be a poll watcher to make sure the process is smooth and fluid. Find opportunities for future elections here: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Become-PollWorker.

Q: Are there resources to get to the polls?  

A: Yes, Union Cab and many others will provide free cab rides to the polls for those who need them. Find a complete list of transportation assistance here: https://disabilityvote.org/rides-to-polls/

Q:  Any tips if I’m anxious to vote?  

A: Just take a deep breath and realize that voting isn’t really that hard but new things can be scary and intimidating. If you have any questions about voting, the Chief Inspector at the polls is the best resource to get information and feedback about voting. Both Amy and Erik have seen how friendly and supporting the volunteer workers are! They are there to make sure that you have full access to voting. You can also talk to people that support you in your life. Like we said above, you can have someone help you vote and support you to get to and from the polls!

Q: Any other voting tips?  

A: People who make a plan to vote, vote more solidly because they remember how they decided to cast their ballot and when they plan on voting. It’s too easy for the day to get busy and all of sudden you’ve forgotten to vote! Making a plan on when you’re going to vote will help reduce the chances that you forget!

Chrysalis Matters

By Cody Vogel

Ladies and Gentlemen, there have been many words to describe this place………

Community, Teamwork, Growth, Support, Care, Friendship, Even better, A Family. Everyone that walks in the door has something that drives them, pushes them to heal, recover, and continue fighting through their own symptoms of stress. Each and everyone of us plays a part, and we all matter. We all grow off each other to the point where it strengthens us, and to be able to guide each other, and to know none of us are alone. You see in this place he, her, them, you, I, all of us are here to help through the moments of pain, stress, loss, or any other form of struggles. As well as in my moments of sadness this place provides a sense of joy, comfort, laughter, and meaning. With each event or fundraiser that this place does, brings all of us together, AS ONE, NOT DIVIDED. So what is this place I’m talking about??? The place known as Chrysalis. You see everyone that is apart of Chrysalis has been through HURT, but going through the hurt means there is always a way to HEAL. Everyone here is special and has bonds with there colleagues. To me, I know this place is my Community, but also is my Family, and that will NEVER change. Thank You.

A Human Resources Lens into Acknowledging Tragedy and Honoring One’s Whole Self

By Amy Holste, Chrysalis Director of HR and Workplace Wellness

The tragedy of gun violence earlier this week in Highland Park, IL and the news the suspect fled to Madison pausing to consider if they should enact more violence is beyond alarming. With each and every tragedy that happens, my stress and empathy button is pushed. I feel panic and anxiety spread through my body. It tightens in my jaw, throat, upper back, chest, and it gets tighter and tighter until it is harder and harder to breathe. It’s hard to focus on my work or anything else. I notice my thoughts speeding up, senses are heightened…so many different waves of emotions are flowing. 

“What if I were at the celebration with my kids? What would I have done if shooting started? What will I do if shooting starts? These suffering families. So much pain. How do we keep going every week and everyday when there is something new and terrible going on? Is this just going to keep happening again and again? What should I do? Do I talk about this? Do I block out the news? What do we say to consumers and staff? How will mental health be brought up? Are we starting to sound like a broken record? Do we need to have active shooter drills? I don’t ever want to normalize this. I’m so tired. What if I can’t find inspiration or hope to keep doing this? Am I slipping backwards in my mental health … Does anyone notice how much I am struggling? Am I going to be able to keep showing up in my role?

When the last thought crosses my mind I stop! It catches my attention because it is the first time over the last three years I’ve felt this. I lost a job before and for the longest time thought I’d never return to a career in Human Resources. When I was young, I was taught to work hard, encouraged by my parents to go to college and be more financially successful–and I was the first in my family to earn a college degree and pursue a professional career. I studied Psychology and Sociology but I didn’t know how to acknowledge or manage my own struggles with depression and anxiety. I’d regularly utilize coping skills passed down from generation to generation in the form of excessive drinking and binge eating. Often those were the only actions I knew to use to numb my discomfort and temporarily distract me from challenging realities of loss, isolation, trauma. We didn’t talk about deep things and we certainly didn’t share with others the challenges we were having in our minds.

Now twenty-five years into my journey with my own mental health and substance use I’m surrounded by the Chrysalis Community where being here reminds me every day the priceless benefits to advocating for places and spaces where we don’t need to keep ourselves and our mental and physical health challenges a secret.  We can openly share and support people actively experiencing challenges. We can talk about it or just hold space to be there for them. Spaces like our workplaces can actually help us stay committed to better health and wellness practices. 

There are days that are a true struggle. There are times I don’t want to admit I am struggling or want to talk about it. I know eventually to keep getting up each day to another tragic headline or stressor I’m going to need to acknowledge how I am feeling. It does help to choose how and when to process with others, when to tune out the news or social media, and when to re-align even more with my values and strengths to find purpose to focus on.

In this time of tragedy and the ones that will inevitably come after, here is a choice we have to choose what to focus on and what to find purpose in. For me I will continue to advocate and use my work to open more inclusive spaces where people can express the challenges influencing them.  Where people will be welcomed with acceptance and empathy and offered support and encouragement to pursue feeling better in any area they may be struggling with their wellness and use their own voice and choice to make these decisions and changes.

The way I see it from my HR lens, it is going to take more and more organizations and workplace leaders to embody purpose by transforming workspaces for more people to thrive in coexistence  and wholeness. It may take grit and courage to leave behind traditional policies rooted in dominance and compliance to welcome in a culture of caring for people’s physical, emotional, spiritual, social, financial, environmental, intellectual, and vocational needs—-to see, support, celebrate and value the whole person versus compartmentalizing them to only focus on the work related needs they have. 

Let’s agree to stop pretending or holding back parts of who we are that keep us all stuck in our fight, flight or freeze stress responses with each other. Normalize the struggles and let our human abilities to experience empathy and seek connection be our most utilized form of training, OSHA safety practice, or benefit in the workplace.

PRIDE Interview

By Ashley Staley

To celebrate PRIDE month, Chrysalis Pops manager Ashley Staley interviewed two members of the Chrysalis Community and asked them to share some of their lived experience being part of the LGBTQIA+ community.  Chrysalis Clubhouse Supervisor, Kathy Ziegert and Chrysalis Pops participant Alex share important details about the hardship and hope of this transformational community.  

Thank you KZ and Alex for sharing your story, we appreciate and support you!

1. When did you know? What was it like for you to come out, if you have come out?

KZ: I had some sense in high school when I wished my Speed (movie) poster had Sandra Bullock on it instead of Keanu Reeves. I didn’t actually know until age 19 during college when I ended up having a panic attack while walking to class.  Therapy helped and I was able to surround myself with supportive people. 

Alex: I kinda knew when I was 12/13. I grew up in a homophobic/transphobic household. It was daunting to come out, it was kind of intense. I fisrt came out as bisexual – now I’d identify as queer and asexual. It’s been a journey.

2. How does being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community impact your mental health? (thinking about societal factors, cultural factors, relationships, personal well-being, life satisfaction, stigma, sense of community, etc)

KZ: It certainly impacted my mental health as a young adult. I definitely chose paths that lead me to having co-workers and a community that supported my identity, from staying in Madison to choosing Social Work as a profession. Now that I’m in my 40s, having made these choices earlier, I don’t see this part of my identity impacting my mental health very much. 

Alex: It’s been both reassuring to be a part of a community and terrifying because there is so much hate against the LGBTQ community. I’m afraid to hold my girlfriend’s hand in public, and I’m constantly being misgendered. I’ve been lucky in the sense my parents didn’t disown or kick me out. But they still haven’t accepted who I am.

3. What do you wish people would know or understand more about being a part of the “alphabet mafia”?

KZ: I wish our larger society could embrace the gray and see fluidity with all sorts of ways to express oneself. I also wish we could focus on our commonalities vs our differences. 

Alex: It’s A. not a choice and B. it’s not dangerous – we’re not trying to convert people, we’re not coming after your kids, we’re just trying to love. We want the same rights as straight cis white men.

4. What brings you joy or makes you proud as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community?  

KZ: It brings me joy when my daughter can stand up in her 2nd grade classroom and proudly state she comes from a family with two moms. And it makes me proud that her classmates and school support her. 

Alex: We’ve come so far. I’m proud of our struggle- we shouldn’t have had to struggle, but we have and we’ve come so far. We need to keep working on our issues, but we’ve come a long way. There is gay equality in some states and the flag has been updated to represent more members of the community.

Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom from Slavery

By Michael Kile-Rasmussen

June 19,1865, was the original Juneteenth celebration. It originated from the date on which the last slaves found out they were free – following the Civil War, in Galveston Texas. June 19th is the Emancipation Day after 400 years of slavery in the southern states. Slavery was the institution which made the United States a rich county. In the northern states, slavery did not exist, but it was segregated freedom, similar to Jim Crow in the south.

Traditionally, Juneteenth is a summer cookout with food, music and fun celebrating the culture of the African American community.  We remember the heritage of our ancestors, the blood, sweat and tears that they put into cultivating and working a land that was not theirs and they did not own. I have so much gratitude and respect for their strength. I cannot image what it would have been like to be alive then.

I am proud of where I come from, that I have African heritage and that while my family members of 5 generations ago were in bondage, this day we are fee in society to show up and participate. To have a voice in the community and influence in today’s society is a major goal of mine.  To live a full, meaningful life without common threat of current harm each day is why I am proud to live in America.

Happy Juneteenth! Happy Freedom Day!