A Mental Health Month Statement From Our CEO
We have begun our Mental Health Month coverage with two different pieces of content, united by one vital common thread.
The first is a blog by a young mother of two from New Jersey, Sarah Vander Schaaff. I first became aware of Sarah after reading her courageous column in the Washington Post about her struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Because of her honesty, courage, and perseverance in making sure she got the care she needed, Sarah’s column stirred feelings so deep and profound that she received messages worldwide from those she had never met, and more surprisingly from old friends and colleagues who wrote for advice. They admitted that they, too, struggled with their mental health. Sarah knew her writing would be a salve for her own well-being, but she had no idea about the difference she could make for others-by speaking up and making sure she got the care she needed and deserved.
Our entire team at MHA-NYC is also speaking up, and with pride. We are talking about mental health, like Sarah, as a way of making a difference. We are talking about why we do what we do, the impact we are having on people’s lives, the services and support we provide, and the importance of no longer being silent about mental illness.
Throughout May, you will hear many different voices from our organization, from people with many different roles, and from many different cultures. But we will all be talking about the one common theme that bonds us all.
We ask you to please join us. Let’s all talk about mental health and speak-up about mental illness. Let’s help erase stigma and encourage everyone to get the services and care they need-like Sarah did, and like those our talented and dedicated team at MHA-NYC provide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to more than a million people a year.
As we embark on this #MHM2016, if we truly talk about it – we can change the world.
Giselle Stolper
CEO/President
MHA-NYC
