Passion for Change seeks professionals for pro bono projects

Both U.S. and British statistics show that one in four of us experiences a mental illness in a given year. And if you aren’t affected directly, mental illness will have an impact on your life through a family member, friend, neighbor, colleague, or through a chance encounter in the grocery store or on the street.

Passion for Change, a Westlake-based not-for-profit created to break the stigma of mental illness, is recruiting professionals in marketing and communications to participate in its core program, "Communicators for Mental Health." The program, designed as a national prototype, has been launched as a Greater Cleveland Pilot Project.

The project is designed to train marketing and communications professionals through an online certificate course, “Understanding Mental Illness, Addiction, Stigma & Advocacy,” and then match them with underfunded local mental health/addiction organizations for a pro bono project. Together, they will help effect change through a shared passion.

This is an exceptional opportunity for both marketing and communications professionals and mental health and addiction organizations. The pilot project is groundbreaking, with benefits all around. Marketing and communications professionals can enhance their resumes through education and a pro bono project in a specialized area and, as trained advocates, they will be better equipped to support family, friends and colleagues dealing with a mental illness. Additionally, mental health and addiction organizations will have access to marketing and communications professionals who actually "get" mental illness and stigma and are prepared to assist in a pro bono capacity.

Passion for Change has been developing Communicators for Mental Health in partnership with Greater Cleveland mental health and addiction organizations.

Volunteers in a variety of fields – including public relations, marketing, social and electronic media, advertising, website development and graphics and fine arts – will find personal satisfaction in giving back to the community. It’s also an opportunity for them to put Greater Cleveland on the map in developing a national prototype.

For more information or to apply for the project, call 216-496-3295 or email info@passionforchange.org.

Marilyn Quill

Passion for Change is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), which serves as a catalyst in breaking the stigma of mental illness by shedding light, challenging misperception and driving change through research, advocacy and education.

Read More on Community Service
Volume 8, Issue 20, Posted 10:28 AM, 10.18.2016