Awareness Campaigns
2018 Change Maker Awards
Our annual Change Maker Awards celebrate individuals and organizations making real change in the mental health care system – and in the lives of children and adolescents who struggle with mental health and learning disorders.
The Change Maker Awards celebrate people and organizations creating real, meaningful change for children who struggle with mental health and learning disorders. From the professionals putting in long hours to the advocates bringing mental health awareness to the national stage, our honorees inspire us with their passion for changing the way we understand and treat our children.
Honorees
Activist Award –
Glenn Close
Co-founder, Bring Change to Mind
With six Academy Award nominations, Glenn Close next stars in the film adaptation of Meg Wolitzer’s bestselling novel, The Wife, coming out late summer 2018. Close most recently reprised her Tony Award-winning role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum and on Broadway. Her multi-award winning career has spanned 44 years, seeing her move effortlessly between stage, film and television. She has also produced for television and co-written, starred in and co-produced the acclaimed film, Albert Nobbs. In 2010, she co-founded Bring Change to Mind, a charity dedicated to confronting the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness by empowering people to start the conversation. The idea for the organization came about following Close’s first-hand observation of battles with mental illness within her family. bringchange2mind.org
Champion Award –
Gavin Newsom
Lieutenant Governor of California
Gavin Newsom has championed innovative public policies since entering office in 1997. As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, then as mayor of San Francisco and now as Lieutenant Governor of California, Newsom has been a political visionary on issues of equality, the environment, homelessness and healthcare. As a candidate for California governor, he has pledged to prioritize prevention, early identification and intervention for mental health disorders and ensure that every young person has access to care by training teachers, counselors, first responders and pediatricians in how to recognize the early signs. ltg.ca.gov
Corporate Advocate Award –
NBCUniversal
Presented to Cynthia McFadden, Senior Legal and Investigative Correspondent, NBC News
NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. As a company uniquely positioned to inform and inspire, NBCUniversal strives to bring together audiences around moments that matter and make a positive social impact in the communities served by each of its brands. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Outstanding Organization Award –
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Since 1987, BBRF has been committed to alleviating the suffering of mental illness by awarding scientific research grants to improve treatment and ultimately develop cures and methods of prevention to enable people with mental health issues to live full, happy, and productive lives. http://www.bbrfoundation.org
Community Builder Award –
To Write Love On Her Arms
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery. Since 2006, TWLOHA has responded to over 200,000 messages and has shared more than 1,000 blog posts from contributors who want to let others know that they’re not alone in their pain.
People’s Choice Award–
Tricia and Kurt Baker
Attitudes in Reverse
Tricia and Kurt established Attitudes in Reverse (AIR™) shortly after losing their son to suicide. They immediately embarked on a mission to eliminate stigma and to encourage people to seek help when needed. Since 2011, they have spoken with more than 63,000 middle, high school and college students about mental health and suicide prevention. They also created a powerful In Their Shoes™ exhibit that augments this educational program. It builds empathy and understanding by sharing thoughts that go through the minds of individuals who are struggling. https://attitudesinreverse.org/
Finalists
Outstanding Organization Award
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
aacap.org
Outstanding Organization Award
Common Sense Media
commonsense.org
Outstanding Organization Award
Mental Health America (MHA)
mentalhealthamerica.net
Outstanding Organization Awards
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
learn.nctsn.org
Community Builder Award
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
adaa.org
Community Builder Award
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
http://www.dbsalliance.org/
Community Builder Award
International OCD Foundation
iocdf.org
Community Builder Award
Jed Foundation
jedfoundation.org
People’s Choice Award
Gary Altheim
Growth and Development Services
excelgds.org
People’s Choice Award
Nicole Hockley
Sandy Hook Promise
https://www.sandyhookpromise.org
People’s Choice Award
Randi Silverman
Youth Mental Health Project
http://ymhproject.org/
People’s Choice Award
Rosalie Whitlock
Children’s Health Council
https://www.chconline.org/
People’s Choice Award
Scilla Andreen
Indieflix Foundation
Indieflixfoundation.org