If you’ve ever heard actress Glenn Close talk about her own family’s experiences in coping with mental health, you’ll know what a powerful advocate she is for the mental health community and for every family and every individual dealing with mental health issues – including those who are coming to the Sachs Center for ADD testing or ADHD treatment in NYC.
In 2010, Close co-founded Bring Change to Mind after her sister, Jessie Close, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and her nephew, Calen Pick, with schizoaffective disorder. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to encouraging dialogue about mental health, and to raising awareness, understanding, and empathy.
As their website says, “Every individual who speaks out inspires another. And another. That’s how we’ll end the stigma around mental illness. That’s how we’ll Bring Change to Mind.”
At the Sachs Center, we believe there are many ways to help people coping with mental health issues in addition to traditional methods. Our ADHD test for adults may help a business executive understand why she is struggling. We offer social skills groups that help those with ADD learn how to navigate the world around them. We provide psychoeducational testing in NYC and help students get the extra time for testing in New York that they need to succeed.
Joining the effort to end the stigma associated with mental illness is also an important way that each of us can help those in our community who face the challenges of ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s, depression and all the other illnesses that affect the mind.
We would like to share the core principles and beliefs of Bring Change to Mind, so that you can be part of the effort, too.
- Start the Conversation
Opening a dialogue about mental illness builds the awareness, understanding, and empathy necessary to inspire the action, structural change, and the creation of new norms which end stigma and discrimination.
- Amplify Voices
Our role is to give a voice to others, as their experiences and stories can transform feelings of isolation and despair into feelings of community and hope. These stories will open hearts and minds and change fear and stigma toward people living with mental illness into compassion and support for their journey ahead.
- Be an Ally
We are a trusted ally in the conversation about mental illness and openly collaborate with other mental health professionals, academics, resources and advocates to grow this consequential movement
- Empower the Future
The foundation of broad awareness will be built by deeply engaged change agents, such as young people touched by mental illness and motivated to improve the lives of others.
- Support Science
Science and evidence-based action is essential to achieving our mission. Therefore, we ground our work in the latest research, which we evaluate for effectiveness then share with confidence.
- Fight for Human Rights
Our work is about saving lives, reducing suffering, and ensuring that people living with a mental illness are able to pursue their human potential with dignity, full civil rights, appropriate healthcare, and unbridled access to life’s opportunities.