We believe in a world where everyone lives full, healthy, and dignified lives.
We are a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring progress and action on mental health – P.A. M. The woman behind the namesake lived a life full of dedication to her family, hard work, and educational opportunities – all while living with bipolar disorder. When Pam had a mental health emergency followed by a colon cancer diagnosis, her family quickly learned how challenging it is to receive mental health care and medical care at the same time, especially care across systems. It was one of the most emotional and frustrating – and, yes, informative – events in their lives.
Pam’s daughter, Cassie, founder, president, and executive director of The P.A.M. Alliance, promised her mother she would tell her story to inspire knowledge, hope, and progress.
Our Pillars
The Power of Pam’s Legacy
Pam, the inspiration for this organization, died of colon cancer at age 59 approximately three years after suffering a serious mental health emergency.
Proud of her Swiss heritage, Pam always had Edelweiss flowers as the centerpiece of a flower bed in her front yard. Edelweiss flowers are known for their beautiful white, fuzz-like blooms, but what makes them unique is their strength – to grow to be so delicate in appearance in the tough mountainous, high-altitude climate of their native Switzerland. Pam represents the power of the Edelweiss: sensitive and loving but one who found the strength to persevere through so many challenges that started with her bipolar diagnosis in her teens, all the way through the pain of stage 4 colon cancer, which ultimately ended her life.
