The Mental Health Connection had a simple message to employers: People with mental illness are still people.
I responded with a simple statement: Open Minds Open Doors.
Twenty million Americans suffer from mental illness. And over half of them won’t seek treatment.
To many Americans, panic attacks are something these people should just “snap out of”. Eating disorders are brushed off as a simple lack of willpower. Depression is characterized as something we should simply “get over”.
As a result, those dealing with psychiatric disorders are discouraged from getting the help they need for fear of being labeled. Those labels can affect their ability to get or hold a job.
The Mental Health Connection knows that changing attitudes about mental illness can change millions of lives for the better. The “Open Minds/Open Doors” campaign was designed to communicate a simple message: People with mental illness are still people.
The campaign had 3 goals: 1) Change attitudes towards people dealing with psychiatric disorders, 2) Encourage people with psychiatric disorders to seek treatment, and 3) increase employment rates for people dealing with these conditions.
Working with the Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, I created two pieces of long-form content: an employer-targeted white paper and a 12-page consumer insert/ebook entitled A Guide to Understanding Mental Illness. It was supported through print and digital ads on Star-Telegram publications, as well as on social media and outdoor boards.
The Mental Health Connection reported an uptick in hiring during the campaign.
Changing consumer attitudes is a long-term goal - not something that can be achieved with a marketing campaign. However, Mental Health Connection surveys reported a significant increase in job placements for individuals with psychiatric disorders.
