Mental Health Program

What is a mental illness? In partnership with her husband, for- • To achieve equity for mental health mer U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Mrs. care comparable to other health care Mental illnesses are health conditions Carter co-founded The Carter Center in characterized by impairment of an indi- 1982 and the Center’s Mental Health • To advance promotion, prevention, vidual’s cognitive, emotional, or behav- Program in 1991. and early intervention services for ioral functioning, and caused by social, children and their families psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors. Mental illnesses are What are the goals of the • To increase public awareness world- among the most common health condi- Carter Center’s Mental wide about mental health and mental tions in the United States: one in four Health Program? illness and to stimulate local actions to Americans will experience a diagnosable address those issues mental illness in a given year. The Carter Center’s Mental Health Program is known for acting as an honest Although even the most serious mental broker between advocates, policymakers, What are some of the activities illnesses can be effectively treated, the and consumers of mental health services of the Mental Health Program? greatest barrier for Americans accessing to support reform and improvement in Mrs. Carter chairs the Center’s Mental mental health care is the stigma and the field. The program’s four strategic Health Task Force — an advisory body resulting discrimination associated with goals are: of experts, advocates, and consumers of these illnesses. In fact, 60 percent of peo- • To reduce stigma and discrimination mental health services that promotes ple with mental illnesses do not receive positive change in the field. treatment (Kessler, 2006). against people with mental illnesses

What is Mrs. Carter’s involvement in mental health issues? Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is known worldwide as a leader and proponent in the field of mental health.

Mrs. Carter has worked tirelessly for more than 40 years to improve the qual- ity of life for those living with mental illnesses and their families, and to advance mental health services. Her work began when President Carter was Governor of Georgia and continued during the White House years with a president’s commis- sion on mental health. Her current mental health work continues through the Carter Center Mental Health Program, where projects include informing public policy and reducing stigma and discrimination against mental illnesses.

The Carter Center • One Copenhill, 453 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307 • (404) 420-5100 • www.cartercenter.org Mental Health Program

The Carter Center hosts two public- than 1,400 stories, documentaries, books, tem in Liberia that will address a broad policy forums each year for those in and other works during and after their range of mental health conditions. The the mental health field: the Rosalynn fellowship year. Their projects have overarching goal of the Carter Center’s Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum, garnered an Emmy award, nominations Liberia Mental Health Program initiative which focuses on issues within the state for the Pulitzer Prize, and awards from is to improve functioning in people with of Georgia, and the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health America, the American mental illnesses in the most populous Symposium on Mental Health Policy, Psychological Association, Amnesty counties of Liberia. which addresses major challenges in the International, and the Association of mental health field. Health Care Journalists. The initiative will assist the Liberia Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Because journalists in all forms of media In 2008, the Mental Health Program the following ways: building local train- play an increasingly important role in launched a multi-year project, the ing for mental health professionals, such shaping public understanding and debate Primary Care Initiative, which works to as nurses; collaborating on implementa- about health care issues, the Rosalynn improve access to mental health care in tion of the national mental health plan; Carter Fellowships for Mental Health primary care settings. developing support models for family Journalism were established to help caregivers; promoting advocacy; and journalists accurately report on a wide The initiative brings together various working to reduce stigma and discrimina- range of mental health issues. stakeholders to identify policy barriers tion against people with mental illnesses. to real-world implementation and to Projects resulting from the Rosalynn develop and monitor action steps. Finally, since 2008, The Carter Center Carter Fellowships for Mental Health has been working with local mental Journalism have the potential to greatly Building upon nearly two decades of health stakeholders to bring forward reduce stigma and better inform people Carter Center efforts to foster peace solutions to help the government address about pressing mental health issues. and democracy in Liberia, the Carter Georgia’s crumbling public mental Since the fellowships were established Center Mental Health Program in 2010 health care systems. in 1996, fellows have produced more launched a five-year initiative to help create a sustainable mental health sys-

The Carter Center • One Copenhill, 453 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307 • (404) 420-5100 • www.cartercenter.org