Honoring Our 2025 Mental Health Champions: Senator Manka Dhingra and Congressman Adam Smith
As NAMI Eastside prepares to celebrate our annual Gala on Friday, October 10, 2025, (tickets are still available here) we are proud to recognize two extraordinary leaders as this year’s Mental Health Champions — Senator Manka Dhingra and Congressman Adam Smith.
These honorees exemplify what it means to lead with compassion, courage, and commitment to building a world where every person experiencing mental health challenges can find understanding, care, and hope.
Senator Manka Dhingra: Transforming Behavioral Health Policy in Washington State
Senator Manka Dhingra has long been a driving force in improving behavioral health systems across Washington. A steadfast advocate for families and individuals navigating mental health challenges, she brings both deep empathy and policy expertise to her work, including as a former Board President of NAMI Eastside.
Her leadership has been pivotal in shaping Washington’s 988 crisis response system, ensuring it is culturally responsive, linguistically accessible, and designed to reach marginalized communities. Senator Dhingra’s commitment to trauma-informed, patient-centered reform is evident in her work to modernize the Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA), emphasizing dignity and recovery in crisis intervention.
Through her advocacy for diversion services and alternatives to incarceration, Senator Dhingra has championed the principle that people living with serious mental illness deserve treatment, not punishment. Her work continues to redefine how Washington supports individuals in crisis, creating pathways to care, healing, and hope.
Senator Dhingra’s vision perfectly embodies NAMI Eastside’s mission: advancing compassionate policy and collaborative partnerships that help people build better lives and communities grounded in empathy and understanding.
Congressman Adam Smith: Leading with Vulnerability and Advocacy
Congressman Adam Smith has redefined what it means to lead with authenticity. By courageously sharing his own experiences with anxiety and depression in his memoir, Lost and Broken, he has opened new conversations about mental health — showing that strength lies in vulnerability.
His openness has resonated across the nation, helping to destigmatize mental illness and inspiring others to seek help without shame. Beyond his personal story, Congressman Smith has used his platform in Congress to advocate for expanded access to care, insurance parity, and greater federal investment in mental health services.
Through both his words and his work, he has become a beacon of hope, reminding millions that recovery is possible and that no one walks their mental health journey alone.
Congressman Smith’s honesty and advocacy embody NAMI Eastside’s belief in the power of storytelling to change hearts, minds, and systems—proving that transparency in leadership can spark empathy, healing, and understanding in every community.
Celebrating Leadership That Inspires Change
As we honor Senator Manka Dhingra and Congressman Adam Smith at this year’s Gala, we celebrate more than their individual achievements — we celebrate a shared vision for a future where mental health care is accessible, equitable, and embraced with compassion.
Their leadership reminds us that progress begins with understanding, and that together, we can build a world where everyone feels seen, supported, and valued.