| Fact
More than half of the
survey participants said they had a personal experience
with mental illness, yet the stigma associated with
it would prevent them from seeking treatment. |
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| Fact
One in five Americans
will be newly affected by some mental illness within
the next six months. In Massachusetts, about 700,000
people have symptoms of diagnosable mental illness. |
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Changing Minds is a program of the Department
of Mental Health whose objective is to eliminate the stigma
of mental illness by increasing public awareness about the disease,
and the effectiveness of treatment. MAMH acts as staff to the Changing
Minds Campaign.
On October 1, 1997, Marylou Sudders, Commissioner
of the Department of Mental Health, announced the formation of a
state wide task force, chaired by Gloria Larson, Attorney at Foley,
Hoag & Eliot in Boston, and Danna Mauch, Ph.D., President and Chief
Executive Officer of Magellan Public Solutions, to lead Changing
Minds, a pioneering effort in Massachusetts to remove the stigma
of mental illness. The impetus for the new initiative had come from
a financial commitment of $50,000 made by Eli Lilly and Company
to begin the campaign.
The Task Force, broadly representative of public
and private sectors, includes a membership as diverse, intelligent
and compassionate as the Commonwealth. These men and women who serve
and represent different constituencies, organizations and professions,
are joined by the common bond of believing in the worth and dignity
of people with mental illness. They are committed to removing the
stigma of this disease by raising the public's awareness about mental
illness and the effectiveness of treatment.
About MAMH
The Massachusetts Association for Mental
Health, Inc. is a private, nonprofit, citizens based organization
established in 1913 for advocacy and educational purposes.
It is a tax exempt Section 501 (c) (3) organization. Since 1913, MAMH has directed its activities towards the successful development of community based housing, education, health care, and mental health services for children, adolescents, adults and seniors.
MAMH Mission
To promote and advance community based housing, education, health care, employment and treatment for children, adolescents and adults with mental illnesses or emotional disorders. To increase knowledge about mental illnesses and the effectiveness of treatment through educational outreach to the public at large or to specific segments, and to promote healthy life styles and behavior through preventative services and programs directed at children and adolescents.
For more information about Changing
Minds, please call (617) 742-7452 or write to:
Changing Minds
c/o MAMH
130 Bowdoin Street, Ste 309
Boston, MA 02108 |
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