Mental Health America Celebrates 100 Years

On February 19, Mental Health America celebrated a century of achievements and looked ahead to future victories at a special event held at the McClendon Center in Washington, D.C. The event featured speakers from the most prominent areas of the mental health movement, who highlighted past accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead.

In 1909, Clifford W. Beers, a young businessman who experienced firsthand the treatment of individuals with a mental illness, founded Mental Health America (then called the National Committee for Mental Hygiene). It was the first association of its kind and the beginning of what we now know as the organized mental health movement in America.

"Our message is simple," said John Morris, chair of Mental Health America’s board, "Mental health is fundamental to the health and well-being of every person in the country."

That sentiment was echoed by speakers representing diverse areas of the mental health movement. They included Jason Forrester, Director of Policy, Veterans for America; Richard Nakamura, Ph.D., Scientific Director, National Institute of Mental Health; Anna Marsh, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Center for Mental Health Services; Richard Davis, Executive Director of the McClendon Center; Dorothy Adams, Executive Director, Consumer Leadership Forum; and Michelle Sese-Khalid, realLives consumer advocate.

Many affiliates joined in the celebration by hosting their own events across the country, and national mental health leaders offered congratulations on this milestone, including Tipper Gore, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

"I want to commend and congratulate Mental Health America for its 100 year record of achievement and advocacy on behalf of people with mental illness,” Mrs. Gore said in a written statement. “From the earliest days of your founding, when Clifford Beers was speaking out about changing the public's attitudes toward people with mental illness, you have led the sea change of reducing stigma and providing hope. Your efforts have not only changed the way we as a nation view mental illness, but also have opened the door for new and more effective treatments and a focus on prevention. As the first association of its kind, you have paved the way for future health advocacy efforts and helped elevate mental health and wellness on our national agenda."

Mrs. Gore is serving as Chair of Mental Health America’s Centennial Conference and Gala, to be held June 10-13 in Washington, D.C. Mental Health America will honor Senator Kennedy and Senator Pete Domenici at the Centennial Gala on June 11.

Senator Kennedy, a lifelong champion in the area of mental health rights and principle sponsor of the recently passed Mental Health Parity Act, shared this message with Mental Health America: "I extend my warmest congratulations to Mental Health America on reaching its 100th Anniversary. This extraordinary day honors the remarkable accomplishments of the oldest mental health association in the nation and its longstanding care and concern for the rights of persons with mental illness. The organization has improved the lives of countless citizens and has called constant attention to their needs. It deserves great credit for the progress we have made over the years, and continue to make today, in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness."

As Mental Health America celebrates its legacy of achievement in 2009, we also look forward to continuing our vital work in our second century.

“We’ve come a long way, but we’ve got a long way to go.” David Shern, president and CEO of Mental Health America said. “It’s time for mental health.”