February Brown Bag:
Creating Pawsitive Mental Health for the Workplace and Beyond


 Wednesday, February 19, 2025
11:30 am – 1:00 pm 
$20/Member & $30/Non Member
(Includes Lunch)

Mandy will share her transformational "therapy animal" story from her military deployment in 2017, and how that experience catalyzed her personal and professional pursuits to create a culture of "pawsitive" mental health.  In addition to her own story, she will share empirical data demonstrating the "pawsitive" power of the human-animal bond across a wide spectrum of settings.   Discover how you can "leash" the "pawsitive" benefits of these wellness practices and strategies in your workplace and beyond - one paw at a time.
IMPORTANT: A registered therapy dog will be in attendance from noon-1 pm, providing enough time to finish lunches before the therapy dog and his handler joins the room.


Featured speaker:
Mandy Iverson, RN, BSN; Community Mental Health Coordinator
Mandy is the Community Mental Health Coordinator for Mental Health Matters and the State Opioid Response Grant Manager for Grand Forks Public Health.  She is a proud two-time UND alumni with Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology: Pre-Health Emphasis and Nursing. 

Mandy and her husband, Doug, have a rescue puppy, Breezer Belfour, and make their home in Grand Forks.  Mandy is a Combat Veteran, 22-year member of the North Dakota Army National Guard, and is currently the Administrative Officer for 68th Troop Command with a rank of Major.  She is a former Mrs. MN and Mrs. ND International.  She enjoys volunteering with animal, Veteran, and child-focused organizations and attending UND athletics with Doug. 

“I’ve devoted my life to making a difference every day by confronting and combating the negative stigma surrounding mental health by promoting “pawsitive” mental health through the benefits of the human-animal bond and by serving communities around the world, one paw at a time.“