SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking
conference of more than 750 prominent thought leaders, researchers,
advocates, practitioners and policymakers from at least 17
countries gathered in San
Francisco last week, energizing a global movement working to
advance mental health around the globe. Held February 18-20, the 7th International "Together
Against Stigma" Conference marked its first hosting in the United
States.
"It is significant that this conference is in California – a leader in challenging stigma
and implementing strategies to eliminate it," said Wayne Clark, PhD, incoming Executive
Director of the California Mental Health Services Authority, which
hosted the conference along with the California Institute for
Behavioral Health Solutions, the County Behavioral Health Directors
Association of California, and the
World Psychiatric Association. "Together, we are growing a shared
commitment to make mental health support accessible across the
globe."
Stigma is a primary reason only 30-40 percent of people in the
U.S. who are experiencing mental health challenges seek help. The
conference underscored the fact that stigma associated with mental
health challenges is not exclusive to any one country or culture:
it is pervasive, encountered at all levels of society,
institutions, among families and within the healthcare profession
itself.
The conference shared groundbreaking research and innovative
strategies to fuel a growing worldwide movement dedicated to
eliminating stigma as a barrier to mental health. Each Mind
Matters: California's Mental
Health Movement played a leading role in launching a global
conversation that will continue, via social media with the hashtags
#Stigma2015 and #eachmindmatters, after conference attendees return
to their home countries.
In addition to the groundbreaking scholarly research presented
by the international academic community, the three-day program
offered a diverse range of speakers.
- With a theme of "New Opportunities and Future Directions," the
first day of the conference featured a panel on the critical role
of entertainment, news and social media in fighting stigma.
Rita Fabi of Facebook
highlighted opportunities social media can play in reaching a broad
audience and connecting users for support when they experience
mental health concerns. Hollywood
writers Roger Wolfson ("Law and
Order") and Hayley Schore
("Blackbox") shared their strategies for telling compelling and
realistic stories addressing mental health in shows broadcast to
millions, and a new generation of creative artists and activists
used art, performance, and new media to share how they engage young
people in new attitudes around mental health.
- "Mental health doesn't register as partisan, it registers as
human," explained former U.S. Senator Gordon H. Smith, president and CEO of the
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) during a powerful and
personal keynote in which he opened up about the tragic loss of his
son to suicide and his efforts in the Senate and at NAB to honor
his son's memory and help millions of young people. In 2004, former
Senator Smith created the Garrett Lee
Smith Memorial Act (GLSMA) in honor of his son – the first
federal legislation to provide funding specifically for youth
suicide prevention programs. His advocacy and leadership has
continued in his role with the NAB through the Ok2Talk Campaign, an
online community where teens and young adults struggling with
mental health challenges can share person stories of recovery,
struggle or hope.
- The second day of the conference, which focused on empowering
the next generation of mental health advocates and professionals,
kicked off with an address from Alison
Malmon, founder and Executive Director of Active Minds,
the nation's leading student mental health organization with more
than 420 chapters on college and university campuses across the
U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. Malmon turned the tragedy of her
brother's suicide into an opportunity to raise awareness, build
support and generate advocacy among college students. Malmon shared
the frustration young people feel over the "the stigma they have
inherited from previous generations" and discussed the value of
empowering young adults in stigma reduction activities.
- In a stirring speech to open the final day of the conference,
Paolo del Vecchio, director
of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA)'s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) declared, "We
must focus on what's strong and not what's wrong. We must stand up
and tell the truth about mental illness." In his remarks,
del Vecchio, a self-identified
mental health consumer, trauma survivor, and person in recovery
from addictions, discussed the critical need to eliminate prejudice
and to seek social inclusion in order to eliminate discrimination
here in the U.S. He shared that SAMHSA is partnering with First
Lady Michelle Obama on an upcoming
initiative around veteran's mental health.
- Continuing the theme of "global perspectives and action," a
panel featured groundbreaking and innovative approaches in stigma
reduction activities in the developing and post-conflict nations of
Fiji and Liberia. A culture of silence in the island
nation of Fiji has contributed to
suicide being a leading cause of death of young people. Among the
culturally-relevant efforts developed to combat stigma, researchers
worked to discover positive terms for mental health, mental illness
and recovery grounded in Fiji's
diverse communities. In 2010, Liberia had one psychiatrist in the entire
country and no mental health care system. Through the work of The
Carter Center Mental Health Program, Liberia has achieved 100 percent coverage with
144 mental health clinicians.
- The conference concluded with an international panel featuring
representatives from leading mental health campaigns worldwide,
including Opening Minds (Canada),
Time to Change (England),
beyondblue (Australia), One of Us
(Denmark), SEE me (Scotland), and Like Minds Like Mine
(New Zealand). Panelists shared
lessons learned and ideas on how California and the U.S. can partner with other
countries to have global impact.
During the conference, emerging and determined leaders in stigma
change were recognized for their work in research, advocacy and
community practice. Former California State Senate President pro
Tempore Darrell Steinberg was honored with the "Mental Health
Champion" award for his lifetime of relentless advocacy in mental
health. Steinberg authored California's Prop. 63, which dedicated 20
percent of new mental health revenues to prevention and early
intervention strategies, including stigma reduction.
Other honorees included:
Patrick Corrigan, PsyD --
Dignity Champion
Corrigan of the Illinois Institute of
Technology has pioneered research on the impact of stigma.
He was recognized for "Excellence in challenging
stigma/discrimination and promoting the dignity/strengths of people
with mental health conditions through broad-level
achievements."
Otto Wahl, PhD -- Thought
Leader
Wahl, a professor at University of
Hartford was honored for "Achievement in contributions to
the science, research, and practice of knowledge in stigma and
discrimination."
Opening Minds -- Innovator
The Canadian effort to reduce stigma was awarded for a "Program
which creates major impact through new approaches that inspire new
possibilities and/or disrupt prevailing views."
Tara Pir, PhD -- Community
Champion
Pir is a founding leader of the Institute for Multicultural
Counseling and Education Services, affiliated with the United
Nation for Human Rights. Her conference recognition focused on
"Achievement in supporting/promoting underserved, unserved,
oppressed or marginalized peoples."
Brian Dyak -- Change
Agent
Dyak of the Entertainment Industries Council has transformed
depiction of health and social issues. He was honored for
contributions as an "Individual who provides
leadership/innovation in the field by connecting disciplines,
driving innovation, and advocacy."
Conference materials are available online at
www.togetheragainststigma.org and photos are available at the
apimages.photoshelter.com/.
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SOURCE California Mental Health Services Authority