My brother is the CEO of the Awards and Recognition Association. He's often contacted this time of year to talk about the Oscars and all the other awards given out in the entertainment and sports industries. He can talk about the gold content of the Oscars, the size of the Stanley cup, how they are created and who is involved. But one question I guarantee he has never gotten is, "Where are the awards for the heroes in mental health?"
Well, there are some.
When the issue of stigma-busting comes up in the millions of brainstorming sessions I've been part of, one of the first ideas people invariably offer is, "Hey, let's create a very high profile award in mental health—you know, like the Oscars." Somehow, consumers don't seem to be aware of the many, many national award programs that already exist to honor various members of the community. In honor of the recent Oscar presentations, I thought I would offer this incomplete list of all of the award programs that I know about, with information taken from their websites. (Note: I didn't include awards that are open only to chapters of national organizations like the MHA cultural competency award, the NAMI chapter awards or our own DBSA chapter awards.)
In no particular order....
The 2008 MHA Media Awards are presented each June at Mental Health America's Annual Meeting. They recognize excellence in reporting and portrayals of mental health issues from the previous year. Mental Health America encourages media professionals and student journalists to submit national, state, local and student news and feature stories in print, online and broadcast media.
The Mental Health America mpower Awards celebrate the lives and work of young people—teens and young adults—who have spoken out about mental health issues to educate their peers and fight stigma.
The Clifford W. Beers Award is Mental Health America's highest award, given in honor of Clifford W. Beers, the founder of Mental Health America and the country's volunteer mental health advocacy movement. Created in 1976, this award has been presented annually to a consumer of mental health and/or substance use services who best reflects the example set by Beers in his efforts to improve conditions for, and attitudes toward, people with mental illnesses. Nominees must:
- Be, or have been, consumers of mental health services
- Have made, or are making, major contributions to improve the lives of people who have mental illnesses, substance use or co-occurring disorders
- Demonstrate a strong ability to effectively educate the public about mental health, mental illnesses, substance use or co-occurring disorders
- Effectively promote the concept of recovery to local, statewide and/or national audiences
- Illustrate his or her commitment to consumer advocacy despite risks to career, finances and public acceptance (strongly encouraged)
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