Breaking Through Stigma

First Coast Forum Breaking Through Stigma: A Conversation About Mental Health

I was the Technical Director of the project First Coast Forum – Breaking Through Stigma: A Conversation About Mental Health. The Jacksonville Community Council identified mental health treatment as an area needing improvement on the First Coast. This hour-long program focused on the barriers people with mental illness face in getting treatment. We covered topics such as the stigma associated with mental illness and how it manifests in work, school, and family environments.

Additionally, a panel of mental health practitioners and advocates helped unpack the social and policy-related obstacles people with mental illness face. Our panelists included Christine Cauffield, Vice President of Lutheran Services Florida Health Systems; Denise Marzullo, Executive Director of Mental Health America Northeast Florida; Jim Clark, CEO of Daniel Memorial; and Rico Bodin, founder of Freedom to Be Me.

WJCT’s Melissa Ross hosted this live event, simulcast on WJCT-TV and WJCT 89.9 FM on May 28 at 8 p.m.