In March of 2009, Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC), held “Picture This: A Local Approach to Mental Health in Pittsburgh” to support and position mental health concerns within the community by convening local members of community from a variety of fields pertaining to mental health, including: media figures, mental health medical experts, stakeholders, and elected officials. The result of this community action plan was a publication that was distributed to local broadcasters, storytellers, and newsprint businesses in order to educate them on the importance of accurately representing mental health issues. You can see that publication here.
EIC continues its commitment to the promotion of local mental health awareness through its project, “Picture This: A Local Approach to Mental Health in Southwestern Pennsylvania”. The purpose of this is to:
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Raise awareness of mental health
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Teach mental health experts about the informational advantages of the media
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Reduce the stigma of mental illness
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Create ongoing communication of mental health within the community
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Establish a process to keep mental health on the media radar screen.
EIC is collaborating with The Staunton Farm Foundation to redefine the way that the mental health field and the media interact in the local community in three key ways: the establishment of an Advisory Committee, a media training event for local mental health experts, and the distribution of media tool kits.
Comprised of a select group of local media leaders and mental health experts, the Advisory Committee convenes to strengthen the understanding and awareness of mental health services in the area. The committee also assists storytellers, broadcasters, journalists, and bloggers by determining accurate depictions and priorities for stories surrounding mental health. Click here to read the biographies of the Media Advisory Panel.
The second outcome is “Picture This: Media Training”. Mental health experts will receive vital training in communicating with the media through mock interviews and comprehensive discussion. Essential tips and key information will be shared in this event and they will come away from this event with a heightened understanding of the important interaction between media and the mental health field and enhanced media skills.
Electronic media tool kits are being created for distribution to broadcast stations, Internet news sites, newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets within the ten county region of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The purpose of “Picture This: A Local Approach to Mental Health in Southwestern Pennsylvania” is to raise awareness of mental health, teach mental health experts about the informational advantages of the media, reduce the stigma of mental illness, create ongoing communication of mental health within the community, and establish a process to keep mental health on the media radar screen.
