Last Day at Active Minds!

It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.
-Albert Einstein

I know I haven't been keeping up with the blog as much as I wanted to, but everything flew by faster than I ever imagined they would. The past two weeks have been meshed into what seems like two days, and it's mind boggling to think of all the projects I have done in that time.

Conference planning has kicked off to a great start. We've been very lucky to work with amazing people at George Washington University, and everyone is excited to continue all the hard work for the conference in November. We're trying to line up some great speakers (who I won't name yet), and our agendas are almost settled. The Student Advisory Committee (SAC) has a great "mocktail" that we're planning for the Friday night, and hopefully everyone will be just as pumped as we are to meet everyone else who is just as dedicated to Active Minds and mental health advocacy! Remember, if you haven't done so yet, you can start buying your conference tickets at www.activeminds.org and go to the "Programs/Events" tabs, and click "National Mental Health on Campus Conference" link. It's all going to be a fantastic weekend!

Other news: today is Amy's last day. Amy has been a Chapters Coordinator with Active Minds for about 2 1/2 years and has been an amazing inspiration not only to myself but all the other students she has worked with. Amy is actually the person that helped me start my chapter at UConn back in September, and was so amazing with helping me get to where I am today. She has always been willing and able to help with anything that comes up, and make sure that every problem that arises is fixed. Amy is starting at Johns Hopkins University to get her degree in Nursing, and I know I speak for everyone when I say GOOD LUCK AMY!!!!

Now that made me realize I haven't written since Erin left either! Last week Erin, one of our other Chapters Coordinators left us to go to law school. Prior to coming to the Active Minds headquarters, I was never truly able to work with Erin as closely as I did with Amy. However, once I was out here, I was able to see how dedicated Erin is to the organization as well. She always kept spirits high in the office with her great sense of humor, and she will be missed as well - now let's all say GOOD LUCK ERIN!!!!

To wrap up all the sad news, today is my last day at Active Minds as well. It has been an extraordinary experience to work alongside some of the most dedicated people in the mental health field. I have learned numerous lessons that I will carry with me through life, that I would not have been able to learn elsewhere. From day one, each and every person on the Active Minds staff has been there for me whenever I have questions (which I always have many of), need help with something, or just needed some insight on a project I was working on. They have no idea how meaningful each work day was here, and I will never forget the past three months working at Active Minds. So - thank you to Alison, Amy, Erin, Marc and Sara (and Heather too)! You have all changed my life in ways you can't imagine.

It didn't take me too long to find today's quote. Although I have already used an Einstein quote, I think this was the perfect one to use while saying goodbye. Every person on this earth is given an infinite number of opportunities and chances - whether because they're in the right place at the right time, or due to another person's generosity. Of course, it is perfectly okay to capitalize on those opportune moments, but you need to give back to society. For every chance you're given, you owe it to someone else - whether it's an individual or a group of people - to give them an equal, or better opportunity. You must give back what you take in life.

So, with my last blog I must say good-bye and farewell. I have loved writing this blog and keeping everyone posted on the inner-workings of the Active Minds office. I thank each and every one of you for keeping up with my postings, and hopefully you were able to learn something about Active Minds, or anything else in life. Good luck to you all with every future opportunity you are given.

Alas, we are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

Busy Bee

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.
~Mark Twain

It's been quite a busy two weeks. Now that I'm sitting down and thinking about what I've done all week I can't remember...

...oh wait! Here we go, now I remember.

Earlier this afternoon Amy, Alison and I had lunch at the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPAN USA) office across town. I was able to meet the staff over there, as well as the two interns who are the same age as myself. It was very intersting to see all the work they're doing with the policy-related issues of mental health and suicide prevention. It's a very good organization, and you can check their website out at www.spanusa.org.

With the end of the summer slowly approaching, things have been quite hectic. Many people think that because Active Minds is a college-based program, the office is very quiet and laid back during the summer months; it's actually just the opposite! From May to August is when the staff here is able to get caught up on all the work they don't have time to do during the school year, while they're trying to support the 200+ chapters. Sometimes it seems like it can't get any busier, and it does!

I've been able to get many things done over the past few weeks. We recently sent out a survey to all Counseling Center Directors that have an Active Minds chapter on their campus to see how well they work with the chapter, and if they have any questions/comments/concerns. After receiving a LOT of feedback, we are very excited! Many of the respondents held a very positive view of Active Minds at their school, and felt it benefited the campus and students. We'll be able to tailor upcoming events and changes that we make at Active Minds, based on the information we've been gathering, which is a HUGE leap in the right direction!

Last year Active Minds sent out a 2008-2009 Active Minds calendar magnet for the chapters to use. On the magnet, it had the date of all the events we support/produce as an organization, and a mini-calendar with all those dates highlighted. I've been working on putting together a magnet for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year, in hopes that people use it well. We just received a copy of the rough draft magnet, and from there we've made any necessary changes to it, so it will be easier to use.

The magnets will be distributed in the "Welcome Back" packet which is sent out in September to every existing Active Minds chapter. Along with the magnet, there are tons of materials we're adding to the packet, including:
- Fundraising packet listing numerous ideas on ways to receive donations from the student body on your campus, as well as a map showing where money goes once Active Minds receives it
- Conference flyers for our 6th Annual Mental Health on Campus Conference at George Washington University on Nov. 13-14!! (Go to www.activeminds.org and click "Programs/Events" to get your tickets now!)
- Standards packet which our Chapters Coordinator, Amy, says "it's everything, really"
- Information on veterans and mental health
- Ratings guide, explaning your chapter's star rating, and how you can improve the rating based on the current requirements

Needless to say, there's a lot to look forward to! We've also made massive changes to the Active and Developing Chapter Toolkits. We are trying to distribute these online as opposed to shipping the toolkits out by mail. If you're interested in looking at the toolkit, visit our website and click "Chapters". The new toolkits aren't up just yet, but they will be very soon.

The rest of the week will be just as busy as the past week. Conference planning has been in the works for the past month, and because it's slowly approaching the whole staff will soon be fully consumed in conference planning and all-things conference.

At this year's conference, the Student Advisory Council (SAC), will be hosting a "Mocktail" event on Friday night the hour before our keynote speaker and kick-off dinner. SAC is currently working very hard to bring everyone an amazing time. We have so many ideas and are looking forward to meeting everyone at the conference in November! If you have any ideas, or things you'd like to see at the conference, feel free to post a comment on this blog post!

I think that pretty much covers about 80% of the work - the other 20% are small managerial tasks that I'm doing around the office. There are always things to finish when you're working in a non-profit like Active Minds.

Alright, enough about work! Because of my post last week - which I actually can admit may have been a bit...morbid? - I decided to talk about laughter! When talking about suicide prevention and mental illness, people often get caught in depressing conversations. To save ourselves from this, I think it's good to try interjecting some humor at the end of the conversation. Laughter really can go a long way, and a lot of times people forget this.

I think Mark Twain's quote is truly accurate. When you're feeling upset, and there is a lack of humor in your day, the best way to remedy this is to help someone else cheer up. By doing this you're not only helping yourself, but someone close to you as well. Making another person laugh really makes people feel better (it works for me at least). So when you're having one of "those days", find someone you care about, or even a stranger who's having a rough day and cheer them up! It's sure to put a smile on your face.

In a way, this goes along with helping each other accomplish the same goal. Please remember to work together because we are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

Just...Breath...

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
~Oprah Winfrey

Disclaimer: I never thought I'd see the day that I quote Oprah, but I really do like this quote. However, I'm sure my mother will thoroughly enjoy this as she watches Oprah quite often.

Anyways...

This week has...literally...flown by. There has been SO much to do, with so LITTLE time. I've worked on things ranging from creating the 2009-2010 magnet, working on various things for our Alumni Active Minds students, to creating a list of "Who's Who of SAC" for our November conference. I feel like I can go on for a while, but I'll stop at that.

Sitting here reading the quote made me realize how little I stopped this week to just appreciate life. So I figured I would share my thoughts (assuming you want to hear them), on why I think we all need to stop throughout the day to just breath.

Life moves too fast. Everyone is so concerned about what's going to happen in the future without taking a step back to look at the present. However, how do you define the "present" anyways? By merely sitting here, thinking of what to type next, I'm letting the present slip by as I think ahead to the (very) near future - and typing what comes to mind. No one truly stops to think about what they're doing at that very moment - it's always "what's going to happen in 5 minutes?" or "what will tomorrow bring?"

If people stopped every-so-often, even for a measly 30 seconds, they would be able to get a better grasp on the present. Once someone becomes more aware of their surroundings, they will become more aware of the problems their relatives and friends have run into; thus, they may be able to prevent tragedies such as suicide and the rapidly increasing cases of depression. Society as a whole needs to start looking after one another; you never know when you'll be the one asking for help.

Once in a while, stop. Just take a short pause in the middle of the day. Take a deep breath; in through your nose, out through your mouth. Wisely make use of the time you have while you've stopped. Think about what you're doing, and all the things you'd like to do; all the people you'd like to talk to; every issue that matters to you. Once you've done this, restart and focus on those issues. Try to change what you see wrong throughout the world. Pay special attention to the people around you and always make sure you are there for them, and that they know you are there for them.

One more thing. Always, always, always make sure that you tell those you love that you do, in fact, love them. Too many people leave home in the morning after an argument, or end a conversation on the wrong tone. You truly never know what might happen in the future. This is something I've learned working as an EMT. Ask anyone that works in Emergency Medical Services - you never really know how the day will end. Too many times we go to a call, and there is nothing we can do for a patient. Before you leave the house in the morning or hang up the phone with a loved one, make sure to tell them you love them.

I guess this has started being my little "sign-off", so remember that we are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

Surveys and Such

"Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value"
-Albert Einstein

The past week or two have been extremely busy around the office. Between Heather leaving last week and the fact that Amy and Erin, two of our three Chapters Coordinators, are leaving within the next few weeks, the office has been buzzing with last minute projects and tying up any loose ends.

With Heather leaving, most of my work last week was focused on helping her finish up whatever projects she was working on. A major project was getting together a fundraising packet that will be sent to all chapters at the beginning of the school year. This will be a great tool for chapters to use when they are in need of funding, however it will be even better for those chapters to raise money for the Active Minds main office in D.C. As I've said, in this economy many non-profits need any help they can get, and we're hoping our 200+ college campuses can pull through and help us financially!

Last week was exciting because we're trying out some new ideas. We spent a majority of the week creating a survey for Counseling Center Directors, as well as one for chapter advisers, which will be e-mailed to them today. This survey is going to be extremely helpful in getting feedback from schools that have Active Minds chapters on their campus. We really push for chapters to work closely with their counseling centers, however not everyone is as accepting of Active Minds on their campus as most counseling centers. We want to know the underlying cause of this - is it miscommunication between the chapter president and the counseling center? Or is it a misunderstanding of the goal of Active Minds?

Many people think Active Minds is a peer-to-peer mental health group which it is not. It exists to de-stigmatize mental illnesses so people are more willing to come out with whatever problems have risen in their lives. This is done by bringing events to campus such as National Stress-Øut Day, National Day Without Stigma, and Mental Health Awareness Week (among others). We encourage all our chapters to produce these events on their campuses, because they can truly change a student's life by making them feel accepted in the community when they were feeling low and depressed.

Another exciting project that's just recently started is an Alumni network! This is a group being formulated by two of our Student Advisory Committee members - Asher and Amanda - that we are hoping will keep everyone in touch who has helped Active Minds along the way to the success we are seeing today. They are still trying to solidify the details of how the Alumni network would work, so if any has any ideas or comments feel free to let us know! You can do that by hitting the "comment" button on the bottom of this post, or e-mail me at jeremy@activeminds.org.

At the end of last week three of us took a trip over to visit George Washington University to check out some facilities. What a gorgeous campus GWU has, and their classrooms are so modern and technologically up to date. The people we met with were so warm and welcoming that we are so excited to work with them on conference planning. If you're planning on joining us for the conference you can buy your tickets today on our website at www.activeminds.org by clicking on "Programs/Events" and "National Mental Health on Campus Conference". The conference is open to anyone, so definitely join us! This year's conference is titled "Uniting Voices, Inspiring Change".

This year we're trying to focus the conference on Veterans and mental health. With so many veterans of our armed services coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq this is becoming a huge issue. There needs to be more resources out there that are available to veterans so we can ensure their mental health. Many veterans come back feeling hopeless and all they need is a shoulder to lean on and someone to talk to. Obviously they might not want to share their experiences, but knowing they have that option is what matters most. We need to focus on the brave men and women to ensure that we give back to them just as much as they've given to us.

I think this post's quote is truly wise and inspiring. So many people work towards being as successful as possible. Einstein captured true success in his quote - if someone works towards becoming a valuable part of our society in whatever way they see fit, that is how one becomes a successful person. It's not through monetary wealth or becoming a CEO or President of a company but how you are effecting the lives of others and how closely you live your life in relation to your personal values. If you stand by those values, then that is success. So, don't look for the job that makes the most money or one in which you only care about telling people that you're the CEO of a corporation. Rather look for the job in which you can carry out your personal morals and values.

With that, always keep in mind that we are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

The Ultimate Goal In Life

"Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love."
- David McCullough

Hey everyone! We've had a lot of things happening in the past week that I'm sure everyone will be excited to hear. However, with the good comes the bad (or sad), so I'll start with the sad news first.

This Friday will be Heather's last day. Heather is our Development Director who is essentially in charge of all-things fund raising and grant work. She has been essential in growing Active Minds into the success it is today. Without her tireless work, Active Minds chapters would be without many events such as National Stress-Øut Day because she helped us get funding for all the amazing materials each chapter received! So, let's all wish Heather the best of luck with her future endeavors. She will certainly be missed in the office. We owe her a huge thank you!

On a happier note - we just signed an AUSTRALIA chapter!! It's Active Minds at the University of the Sunshine Coast, in Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia. I hope everyone is as thrilled as I am to hear this news! What makes this even better is the fact that in the office, there is a huge map of North America with colored push pins wherever a chapter exists. Considering we didn't have Australia on the map, Erin (one of our friendly Chapter Coordinators) printed out Australia and placed it in the Gulf of Mexico - pretty close to the actual location, right?

As I mentioned in the last post, we've slowly started going into planning mode for this year's 6th Annual Mental Health on Campus Conference, which will be held at George Washington University on November 13-14. As always, it's going to be an amazing opportunity for all the chapters - across the world - to come together and meet other people who share the same passion as they do. There are so many exciting events we're planning for this year, and I know it is going to be an incredible time for everyone who comes! You can actually start buying your tickets to the conference online at:
http://www.activeminds.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=101
Buy your tickets now for what I assure you will be an experience you will always remember!

I've also been working on sending out Chapter Toolkits, which go out to all the new and upcoming chapters. Although they can be quite a hassle to put together, it feels great knowing we're helping a brand new chapter start their quest in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. As of June 22, we are up to 206 chapters and steadily on the rise!! Everyday our Chapter Coordinators receive e-mails requesting information on starting new chapters.

The rest of this post may be a bit off-topic now, but I think it's something that needs to be discussed. A few days ago my dad and I were talking about the work I'd like to do in the future, and he said something that I think everyone should think about at some point in life. He reminded me how I used to envision my future, and how concerned I was with material objects. I grew up in a part of Connecticut that can be considered as middle to upper-class. Many people were more concerned with how much money they were making in a pay check as opposed to the things that matter most - loving what you do. This mentality rubbed off on me and while I was growing up, I had always been so concerned with the kind of car I was going to drive (I wanted a Jaguar at the time), how big my house was going to be, and I certainly wanted to make six-figure pay checks.

Looking back I certainly feel a bit ashamed with how I hoped my future would look - although I was just a child. I have truly realized that you not only have to love what you do, but it should be something that you are willing to devote your life to. Whether it's a cause like the stigma of mental illnesses, enivornmental advocacy, or animal rights - it should be an area that you set your mind to, and attempt to change whatever you see needs changing. It is certainly not about the paycheck at the end of the week (or month), but about how satisfied you feel everyday you go home. You should feel as if you've made a difference in the lives of others - whether it's one person or hundreds of people.

McCullough said it perfectly. If you pin point what it is you're passionate about, and devote your work towrads that cause...that is success.

And with that I'll say farewell for today. Always bear in mind - We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

P.S. Please feel free to leave comments/questions/concerns on this page! I'd love to hear from everyone...

Two Weeks Down...Already?

"You always pass failure on the way to success."
- Mickey Rooney

Through the past few weeks I've realized how much this economy has effected non-profit organizations. I'm not going to complain, or try to suggest ways to turn it around, but I just wanted to share an observation. Due to the scarcity of money, organizations such as Active Minds aren't receiving the same amount of funding that they have seen in the past. Through many disheartening attempts at receiving funds and grants, there are always those moments when we hear a surprising "YES!" or "OH MY GOD!" coming from the conference room across the office. I have recently learned a lesson that everyone in the office has known for a long time - in this business, perseverance is key. As Rooney said, no matter what you do you're bound to fail before you succeed. The key to succeeding not only as a non-profit, but in life, is picking yourself back up, dusting yourself off, and continue running towards the ultimate goal.

It's been two weeks since I've started working in the Active Minds, Inc. office. From day one I knew I would have my work cut out for me. Working at a non-profit organization never proves to be easy, especially one with a small work force. As I said a few posts ago, the staff here is simply amazing (and no, I'm not repeating that because I know they read this). This small office that consists of six full-time employees works so hard towards our goal of reducing mental health stigmas.

With a small office such as this, there is always more work that needs to be completed. I haven't had many chances to sit back and relax without the thought of all the tasks I have to complete by their respective deadlines.

Yesterday was mostly spent working with the Director of Development, Heather, on how to get students excited about lobbying Members of Congress during our 6th Annual Active Minds National Conference in November. As I had said earlier, there is a bill going through Congress at the moment - S. 682 and H.R. 1704 - that will greatly improve counseling centers across the nation. In order to show this nation's leaders how effective this bill would be, we are hoping to bring the Active Minds' student leaders to meet with their Representatives. The main problem that has come up is how to get everyone excited about this opportunity. Many people who are not politically involved think politics is such a bore - it's just the opposite! Being able to sit down with your Congressman is such an amazing chance for them to hear you out, and witness - first hand - the compassion you have towards the issue you're meeting about.

Along with that monumental project, we have been shooting fundraiser ideas back-and-forth. One of the biggest problems in today's economy is the lack of donations towards non-profits. Many people don't realize that if every person who has, at one point, been effected by Active Minds gives $5 or even $1, it would add up to such a significant amount! We would be able to provide chapters with much more materials and give-aways (which we all know people swarm towards) than we are currently able to. If anyone has any ideas for fundraisers, PLEASE comment below or feel free to e-mail me: jeremy@activeminds.org!!

Aside from the development work, I've been helping the three chapter coordinators organize all the Chapter Inventories that were due May 15th. Many schools have sent their inventories to the office, but we're still missing so many; trying to chase down the chapter presidents only goes so far! I'll be completely honest, compiling the data was not fun and summarizing it was even more of a project. In a few weeks there is a Board of Directors meeting where all the data has to be presented, so before then we need to complete a board report with all the data I compiled. As the chapters know, if they don't turn them in soon, they will unfortunately be considered inactive, and no one wants that :(. If any chapters haven't turned their Chapter Inventory in, there's still a chance to get them in!!

Anyways. I just finished writing a memo on this year's Student Advisory Committee survey feedback for Sara, our Program Director. Other than that, it's a typical Friday! I'm all caught up with work (for now) and can't wait to see what next week brings to the table.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend, and feel free to post any questions/comments/concerns on this blog!

As always, We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

Quiet Day

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." Woody Allen

I couldn't find any pertinent quotes to relate to this post, so I chose one that made me, and will hopefully make you, laugh.

Knowing that it's only been 1 day since my last post, I'm slowly becoming excited about this new responsibility as the Active Mind "blogger". Having just taken a lunch break with my fellow intern who's working as the MPH intern, I figured I would write a quick post.

First of all (and completely unrelated to Active Minds), I just had "Chipotle" which is, apparently, a gourmet burrito and taco restaurant across the United States. However, I had never heard of this place until coming to D.C.!! There are so many places that Connecticut lacks, and my new friends don't forget to remind me of this. They are so surprised we don't have any of those places ("Potbelly" being another restaurant) over in CT.

Anyways, I'll get back on track. Today has been a quiet day. Out of the six people on staff in the office, only two full-timers are in today! Two of those missing are out of state for the week- one in Minnesota and the other in Maine. The the other is testifying at a Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee hearing. Needless to say, it's a more relaxed day.

I'm working on a bunch of things concerning fund raising and lobbying Congressmen during the Fall conference. If any of you Active Minds members are reading this - get pumped! There are currently two pieces of related legislation in Congress - S. 682 and H.R. 1704 - titled "Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act". You can track these bills on www.govtrack.us to see where they are in the legislative process. In November we'll be lobbying Members of Congress to pay attention to mental health issues and, if it has not been passed by then, lobby for them to vote for the bills. They are incredibly important in our fight to "change the conversation about mental health". Basically, they would award grants to institutions of higher education to improve mental and behavioral health services and outreach on college and university campuses.

Please, contact your local House Representative or Senator (which you can find on either www.house.gov or www.senate.gov respectively) and tell them to support these bills!!

Always remember, We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

Starting A Change

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

- Barack Obama

I promise this is not a blog about President Obama! As a new resident of Washington, D.C. (aka "The District"), the Obama buzz still lingers in the air everywhere you turn. T-shirts and posters - with the president's face emblazoned on them - are sold on every street corner. However as I was looking for an appropriate quote to start my blogging "career", I stumbled upon one of Obama's quotes that I thought fit perfectly with what I wanted to say.

We all know how strong the stigma that surrounds the topic of both mental illnesses and behavioral disorders. I'll admit it - whenever I walk into my school's counseling center I feel as if hundred's of eyes are boring into my soul and all I want to do is climb that set of stairs as fast as possible and escape through the door unscathed. As I ascend, I scan the area to see who's looking at me - wondering what reasons they've conjured up in their heads as to why I'm going to the Counseling Center. Then it dawns on me that this is the reason I began the Active Minds chapter at my school.

Active Minds is set to change the way the world perceives mental health through the undergraduate's voice. Every member of the organizations 200+ chapters has stepped up to the plate, attempting to knock that stigma out of the park. We all came to the same realization that something needs to be done, and we have become that change. Every one of us is attempting to change the world around us.

One of the striking realizations I've made since beginning my internship here at Active Minds, Inc. is how dedicated everyone in this office is to the work we've set out to accomplish. It is one of the warmest, friendliest offices you'll ever step foot in - as soon as you walk in there is someone at the door greeting you with a huge smile on their face. All of us have our own stories as to how and why we came to Active Minds, but since this is my blog you probably want to know who I am:

My name is Jeremy. I'm going into my senior year at University of Connecticut (UConn) studying Political Science and Sociology. Mental Health education and advocacy has been my passion since sophomore year of high school (I can't believe it's been 7 years!!). Last September I founded, and serve as President, of the Active Minds at UConn chapter and it's rocketed from there. I became immersed in my work, and realized how much I truly love this field. In the spring, I was selected to serve on Active Minds' Student Advisory Committee (SAC), and was then elected as the Presdient of SAC. Now, I'm interning in the office and dove straight into work! From now on, these blogs will be more about the daily happenings of the office.

I'll leave you with this. We are all here for a reason; every one of us has something they're dedicated to - whether it's politics, health care, education, etc - we're all dedicated people. If you haven't found what you're dedicated to, it will come. When you least expect it, you'll be thrown into a situation and suddenly realize "wow, this is so important to me" (maybe not as corny though). For some, it may come sooner than others, but don't worry - it'll happen! Once you find your passion, be the change you wish to see in the world.

We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!