Non-profits are working in several different ways to make an impact with my issue. Upon exploration, however, I have found that there really are not many non-profits that are working to discover the source of mental illness stigmas or how to get rid of them. Most of the non-profits, I have found, are aimed more towards counseling services (which is a good thing, don’t get me wrong). However, I think a non-profit should exist that aims to educate people on mental illness and get to the root of why people do not seek care.
Myself and others can get involved with addressing my issue through non-profits by finding one that strikes home and donating to it. People can also make suggestions to the organizations that already exist as to how they can improve. Volunteering is also a big way in which people can get involved with the issue they hold close to heart. If a person cares enough about the issue, they are likely to find a way to volunteer their time to it.
Unfortunately, there are many challenges that exist for a person seeking to get involved with a non-profit organization in the mental illness area. First of all, there may not be a non-profit for the type of work a person wants to donate to. It can be frustrating to find a non-profit that holds every aspect that a person wants. Obviously, not just anyone can start up a non-profit, either. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and funding to start something big such as a successful non-profit.
The most important things to consider when viewing mental health through a non-profit work lens is how involved you can and want to be with the non-profit, whether you are willing to donate to a group that may not meet all of your criteria, and where funding will come from if you are planning on starting a non-profit. Relying solely on donations is probably a risky route, so you will want to find several alternative options as well.
In terms of the three models of Justice-oriented citizenship, many organizations that exist now are meeting the first two citizen types: personally responsible and participatory citizenship. Many of the non-profits in the mental health field are giving care to those who need it, and organizing the means through which they can receive that care. What I am not seeing a lot of is the third citizen type, social-justice oriented citizen. The organizations I have seen do not seem to be asking themselves why mental health is an issue or what the root causes for mental health stigmas are.
The Ted Talk I found (posted below) is called “How to Start a Movement”. There were no existing Ted Talks that I could find specifically about mental health non-profits, but this talk shows, in my opinion, how to make the most impact out of what may be a non-profit organization (or anything, for that matter). My main takeaway is this: leaders are overrated. It is the first follower that has the most influence. What is amazing is that I have the potential to be “the first follower”, and so does anyone else who cares and wants to make a change in the world.