May is Mental Health month, and The Kennedy Forum is encouraging people to talk about mental health and substance use because the brain is part of the body and mental health is just as important as physical health. The Kennedy Forum uses this platform to engage thousands of people in conversations about mental health and substance use in their community, workplace or home. This initiative combats stigma, generates new ideas and encourages action. Over the past five years, The Kennedy Forum has generated over 500 conversations reaching over 10,000 people to combat stigma through face to face conversation. We hope you will join us this year.
When: Anytime in the month of May – or whenever you can gather.
Where: Due to the current pandemic, we encourage people to host their conversations virtually.
Audience: Any audience is encouraged, whether workplace, school, church, home – anyone you like.
Toolkits: Click here for toolkits and resources to help you host a conversation. Mental Health America also has developed great resources around Mental Health Month.
Frequently Asked Questions: Click to view.
Social media graphics to share publicly: Click here to view.
Why Participate
Studies show the best way to eliminate stigma is to talk about experiences face-to-face. In previous years, nearly 80{c48ccdf3c73afb47c94c61fa7aae86e62bfbb2e57db984400d0c5994c9d92c5c} of conversations hosted by The Kennedy Forum included someone with mental health or substance use experience. People walk away from these conversations energized to do more. Over half of participants feel more comfortable speaking about mental health and addiction with family members and friends. One in three participants report a change in perspective.
“Thank you for this remarkable opportunity. This was a beautiful and inspiring event that catalyzed some incredible collaborations. This event series is going to make a difference. We are very grateful for your efforts.” -Previous Participant
Get Involved Today
Register here or email us at general@thekennedyforum.org to learn how to get involved.