Training Teleconference - October 11, 2005
Changing Minds and Inspiring Hope: Media Strategies For Reducing Stigma Within Spanish-speaking Communities
To access an archived recording of the training teleconference and presentation materials please contact the ADS Center at stopstigma@samhsa.hhs.gov or 1-800-540-0320.
Stigma continues to hinder mental health recovery for Latinos in America. Its impact is felt in the lack of community acceptance and full integration of people with mental illnesses. For Latinos, stigma can manifest itself in the form of a belief that mental illnesses result from a lack of character, divine punishment, or bad parenting; that people with mental illnesses are dangerous or cannot cope; or that mental illness is incurable. Effectively addressing these stigmatizing attitudes requires cooperation and communication across an entire community. Although accurate information about the nature of mental illness and the genesis of stigma is available, appropriate and effective distribution of that information to a Spanish-speaking public requires careful planning.
Spanish-speaking communities rely heavily on print and broadcast media for vital health information. According to Univision, the largest Spanish-speaking television network in the U.S., television is the primary media for communicating this information, followed closely by radio and, increasingly, the Internet. Accordingly, any strategy designed to foster increased knowledge and decreased stigma about mental illness within Spanish-speaking communities should utilize mass media as a resource.
Please join us on Tuesday, October 11, 2005, for a presentation on identifying factors impacting stigma and stigma-reduction in Spanish-speaking communities; effectively working with Spanish-language news media to communicate about mental illness and mental health services; and successful projects and initiatives already utilizing mass media as an educational and outreach tool within Latino communities.
This training will:
- Describe the pilot EBI including its goals, approach, partnerships and portfolio of public education activities and materials.
- Present a summary of the EBI's accomplishments and outcome in terms of the extent and effect of its outreach activities to schools, businesses and the general public.
- Describe the lessons learned while implementing public education campaigns to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination.
- Present future activities, including the publication of an EBI resource kit and implementation of the National Anti-stigma Campaign (NAC).
Chris Marshall, Consumer Affairs Specialist, Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA, HHS
As a consumer affairs specialist and project officer for CMHS, Chris leads many activities and programs that promote the meaningful participation of consumers in the mental health system and in mental health policy development. Mr. Marshall focuses on issues of recovery, self-care, peer support, consumer education, privacy of health care information, discrimination and stigma, aging, and others. Mr. Marshall is the project officer for SAMHSA’s National Anti-Stigma Campaign, a nationwide public education effort that will develop and distribute television, radio, and print public service announcements. Mr. Marshall leads dialogue and regional consumer meetings and is also the lead staff for the CMHS National Advisory Council’s Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues. Chris Marshall is also a self-identified consumer who has spoken out on these issues in press conferences, TV interviews, and other media.
Richard Gilroy, EBI Project Director
Richard Gilroy has more than 25 years of communications experience, including more than 15 years creating and producing public education and public service advertising campaigns for agencies of the Federal Government. He has developed creative strategies for local, regional, and national marketing campaigns; and created, written, and produced communications for all media, including television and radio, newspaper and magazine, outdoor and transit, collateral, direct mail, and interactive communications. Mr. Gilroy managed the development, creation, and production of all materials for the Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI), and for the last year of the three-year initiative, served as project director. In that capacity, he managed all activities related to the 2005 Voice Awards, as well as the development of the Resource Kit, which is slated to be distributed to all 50 States. He is currently the project director for the 2006 Voice Awards.
James Bell , EBI Evaluation Director
As the founder and president of James Bell Associates, Mr. Bell has gained more than 30 years of experience in national program evaluation pertaining to innovative health and human service programs. As the leader of the Evaluation Team for the Elimination of Barriers Initiative Evaluation, Mr. Bell collaborated with CMHS, the eight EBI States, and members of the Implementation Team to design and conduct a formative evaluation. The methods employed were activity monitoring, case studies and focus groups to assess what happened when EBI was implemented. Besides leading the EBI evaluation, Mr. Bell has focused in recent years on evaluating integrated treatment services for persons with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders and HIV/AIDS.