Wow. What an organization you have created for college students concerned with mental health! I enjoyed reading about your work both in your entry and on your website.
In your entry, you mention the need to expand your technological capability so that you can better connect chapters to each other. What would that look like? I would like to better understand the specific kinds of needs you have here.
The technology I think we'd need (knowing that, in a year or two capacity and needs may look very different!), is a more robust system for chapters to be able to share ideas and be connected. I envision a system where our members can enter their programs into a program bank, and be able to search and comment by type of program, particular audience reached, specific mental health issue(s) discussed, type of school that hosted the program, etc. With a robust system like this and more, I know that our students will be able to enhance their own programs and be able to utilize each other's experiences to continue to come up with better, more effective, and even more innovative programming.
We also continue to search for ways to virtually connect our students so they feel like they are, truly, part of a movement. We have an annual conference that brings together more than 300 Active Minds students, staff, and supporters every year - and brings with it more energy and excitement than any of us could imagine. I would really like to extend that excitement throughout the year, when everyone is on his/her own campuses, but still truly feels connected. The technology we have discussed that could provide this includes video conferencing, and a Facebook-like app that gives each member a face and a voice even online.
Alison's leadership has not only helped give a voice to those who are often silenced, she is now creating a tipping point of change to help all of realize that mental health affects us all. As a former advisor for an Active Minds chapter, I can say that this organization is instrumental in empowering students at the grassroots and engaging those in positions of power to create sustaining change.
I wish you the best, Alison with this award and with all that you are doing for students across the country.
On November 20, 2009 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers Rethinking Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“Fabulous idea! What I really liked was the potential to use the power of the students and peer groups to change stigma, and reduce discrimination of people who have mental health issues on campus. I would really like to learn more about what the connections are to the campus mental health services. Are you able to refer people to professionals?”
“I think it’s a great idea to have chapters on college campuses to make people aware of mental health issues. Would you mind providing some more evidence of impact, and how your initiative has made a difference in the lives of people who are suffering from major mental health issues? While you plan on expanding broadly, I would suggest you build out the strength of the implementation that you already have so that you have a stronger case for scaling. Also, since one person started this initiative, what happens when that person moves on? Is there the community buy-in and leadership training to ensure this initiative is successful and sustainable in the long run? Overall, this idea has a lot of promise.”
- Changemakers Rethinking Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing Judges
Many thanks for the constructive feedback. A few answers to the comments/questions:
1) Active Minds chapters work hand-in-hand with the on-campus mental health resources. All of our chapters are required to have advisors on campus, and many of them find their advisor within the counseling center. Even those that don't, secure information from the center to advertise at events, during freshman orientation, etc. We like to say that Active Minds serves as the Outreach Arm of the university counseling services, letting clinicians spend their time on student visits and making outreach that much more effective because it comes from students themselves. Active Minds and the Association of University and College Counseling Directors (AUCCCD) has a very close relationship.
2)I'd be happy to provide more evidence of impact. It comes in a few different forms, including the testimonials on our website (www.activeminds.org), but also through some quotes we've compiled over the years. Such quotes include "Active Minds has provided me, and countless others whose stories remain untold, with a vehicle through which to effect change. The organization has given us a reason to be optimistic again" from a member of Active Minds at Brown University and the following quote which was posted on a student's Facebook page just a month ago: "Matthew O. knows that Active Minds has saved at least one life: My life was saved by the knowledge and encouragement that Active Minds has given me to help others with. I know now and understand what needs to be done to save another life. Posted: October 22, 2009"
Regarding expansion, I certainly understand the suggestion to expand using the strength of implementation we already have. In that vein, we continue to work to strengthen our existing chapters and, very importantly, connect chapters so that they support each other regardless of how recently they've been started. We continue to learn from our chapters at community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), technical schools, and others, to help the development of chapters at those types of schools moving forward. So we continue to learn and perfect in order to grow most effectively.
And in terms of long-term sustainability, we have a very active Board of Directors of 13; a National Advisory Committee of 16; and a Student Advisory Committee of 15; in addition to a full-time staff of 5, so have many many invested, engaged, and intelligent folks leading Active Minds. As founder and Executive Director, I spend more time on the road serving as the 'face' of the organization than working on programming, which really means that our success and sustainability is feasible in the long run with or without me.
Comments
Wow. What an organization you have created for college students concerned with mental health! I enjoyed reading about your work both in your entry and on your website.
In your entry, you mention the need to expand your technological capability so that you can better connect chapters to each other. What would that look like? I would like to better understand the specific kinds of needs you have here.
-- Katherine Stone, Postpartum Progress, http://postpartumprogress.typepad.com
Thanks for your thoughts, Katherine!
The technology I think we'd need (knowing that, in a year or two capacity and needs may look very different!), is a more robust system for chapters to be able to share ideas and be connected. I envision a system where our members can enter their programs into a program bank, and be able to search and comment by type of program, particular audience reached, specific mental health issue(s) discussed, type of school that hosted the program, etc. With a robust system like this and more, I know that our students will be able to enhance their own programs and be able to utilize each other's experiences to continue to come up with better, more effective, and even more innovative programming.
We also continue to search for ways to virtually connect our students so they feel like they are, truly, part of a movement. We have an annual conference that brings together more than 300 Active Minds students, staff, and supporters every year - and brings with it more energy and excitement than any of us could imagine. I would really like to extend that excitement throughout the year, when everyone is on his/her own campuses, but still truly feels connected. The technology we have discussed that could provide this includes video conferencing, and a Facebook-like app that gives each member a face and a voice even online.
Alison's leadership has not only helped give a voice to those who are often silenced, she is now creating a tipping point of change to help all of realize that mental health affects us all. As a former advisor for an Active Minds chapter, I can say that this organization is instrumental in empowering students at the grassroots and engaging those in positions of power to create sustaining change.
I wish you the best, Alison with this award and with all that you are doing for students across the country.
Warm regards,
Sally Spencer-Thomas, Executive Director for the Carson J Spencer Foundation http://www.PeoplePreventSuicide.org
On November 20, 2009 the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers Rethinking Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing competition and would like to pass on the following feedback (listed below) for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators. We wish you continued luck with your innovative, sustainable, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“Fabulous idea! What I really liked was the potential to use the power of the students and peer groups to change stigma, and reduce discrimination of people who have mental health issues on campus. I would really like to learn more about what the connections are to the campus mental health services. Are you able to refer people to professionals?”
“I think it’s a great idea to have chapters on college campuses to make people aware of mental health issues. Would you mind providing some more evidence of impact, and how your initiative has made a difference in the lives of people who are suffering from major mental health issues? While you plan on expanding broadly, I would suggest you build out the strength of the implementation that you already have so that you have a stronger case for scaling. Also, since one person started this initiative, what happens when that person moves on? Is there the community buy-in and leadership training to ensure this initiative is successful and sustainable in the long run? Overall, this idea has a lot of promise.”
- Changemakers Rethinking Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing Judges
Many thanks for the constructive feedback. A few answers to the comments/questions:
1) Active Minds chapters work hand-in-hand with the on-campus mental health resources. All of our chapters are required to have advisors on campus, and many of them find their advisor within the counseling center. Even those that don't, secure information from the center to advertise at events, during freshman orientation, etc. We like to say that Active Minds serves as the Outreach Arm of the university counseling services, letting clinicians spend their time on student visits and making outreach that much more effective because it comes from students themselves. Active Minds and the Association of University and College Counseling Directors (AUCCCD) has a very close relationship.
2)I'd be happy to provide more evidence of impact. It comes in a few different forms, including the testimonials on our website (www.activeminds.org), but also through some quotes we've compiled over the years. Such quotes include "Active Minds has provided me, and countless others whose stories remain untold, with a vehicle through which to effect change. The organization has given us a reason to be optimistic again" from a member of Active Minds at Brown University and the following quote which was posted on a student's Facebook page just a month ago: "Matthew O. knows that Active Minds has saved at least one life: My life was saved by the knowledge and encouragement that Active Minds has given me to help others with. I know now and understand what needs to be done to save another life. Posted: October 22, 2009"
Regarding expansion, I certainly understand the suggestion to expand using the strength of implementation we already have. In that vein, we continue to work to strengthen our existing chapters and, very importantly, connect chapters so that they support each other regardless of how recently they've been started. We continue to learn from our chapters at community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), technical schools, and others, to help the development of chapters at those types of schools moving forward. So we continue to learn and perfect in order to grow most effectively.
And in terms of long-term sustainability, we have a very active Board of Directors of 13; a National Advisory Committee of 16; and a Student Advisory Committee of 15; in addition to a full-time staff of 5, so have many many invested, engaged, and intelligent folks leading Active Minds. As founder and Executive Director, I spend more time on the road serving as the 'face' of the organization than working on programming, which really means that our success and sustainability is feasible in the long run with or without me.
Thank you for the helpful feedback!
Alison Malmon
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