Social Entrepreneurs in the Global Arena

SESSION NOTES

Ashoka's Changemakers: organization that innovate and support with funds to corporations to help the public sectors for solutions around the world. Entries are looked at by judging panels to see if they qualify as innovators and to receive fundraising.

Innovation:

A unique model of change demonstrating a substantial difference from other innitiatives in the field and has the potential to scale (replicate and expand)

 

Social Impact

Solution to an important social problem & demonstrates impact on the target population it addresses (could be at small level but potential to grow.) 

 

Sustainability:

Clear plan for secure financial support (even if at pilot level)

• strong partnerships and support networks to address ongoing need
• business plan/ clear financial strategy

Barriers:

Core components of a problem that, if changed, could allow for the systems-change. Barriers are not underlying causes that only describe a situation. They must be moveable and specific to the problem. 

 

Solution Principles:

Insights and strategies that identify levers of change.

 

Activity:

 

Project: Rethinkning Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing:

         Ashoka's Changemakers Collaborative Competition: Question: This organization is an innovation that should be funded?

First innovation: Mental Health First Aid

 

• Organization name: National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
• Organization website: www.theNationalCouncil.org
• Organization  Country: USA
• Non-profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

Idea:

• 12-hour training designed to give the public key skill to help someone who is developeing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Helping tha public identify , understand and respond to signs of mental illness. 

Innovation:

     What makes your idea unique?

 

• Groundbreaking public education initiative that focuses on three key elements:

1. Recognizing warning signs of mental health probelms
2. Increasing skills to help individuals to reach out to those with mental health challenges
3. Provide an enganging framework for understanding how professional and self-help supports can help.

 

 

Impact: What imoact had the organization had?

 

• Certified in USA more than 300 instructors to teach the program in 33 states across the nation.
• Instructors delivered the program to more than 3,000 community members in a variety of fields: Law Enforcement and other first responders, employers and business leaders, primary care givers, non-clinical menatal health center staff.

 

 Problem:

           How prepare are we to deal with mental health emergencies? One in four American adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. Nearly two-thirds of people with mental health disorders do not seek treatment. Mental Health First Aid exists to lessen these disparities between physical and mental illnesses, and does so through a simple approach to build one's confidence and ability to help.

 

 Actions:

 

          Innitially, we worked to develop and adpat the core curriculum for US audiences and to gather input from a variety of consumer and professional sources. Further work is needed to tailor the curriculum fro specific audiences and to ensure the content remains current. Continue to offer training courses to certify instructors to be able to offer the program in more communities. Individuals go through a 12-hour course.

 

Results:

 

          Our vision is for Mental Health First Aid USA to be available in all 50 states and to be as commonplace as regular first aid or CPR by 2020. Mental Health First Aid improves the mental health of those who receive training and those that are apply to.

 

What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years?

          The National Council is challenged with ensuring the instructors we have certified present this quality program through proactively meeting instructor's needs through our technical assistance efforts and by building our capacity to keep up with trainig program.

 

How many people will your project serve annually:

 

          1001-10,000

 

What stage is your project in?

 

          Operating for 1-5 years

 

Organization connected to an established organization?

 

          National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

 

 

 How innovating is this project or how not?

1. Not innovative in other field but is innovative in mental health.
2. Clear Gap- but could only provide a part of the gap- rely on other systems
3. Innovation in context: Is it relative?

 

Model of Solutions and Barriers for Mental Health:

Solutions	Barriers:
World View, Culture	fear, society stigma, early education,
Engagement/ Approach	Start with "Hi", absecnce of healing, lack of trust, cycle of abuse, advocay groups, create dialogues,
Education/Values	early education, mental helath literacy, schooling system approach,
Environment/Commmunity	isolation, media, support groups, interactive community, identity of community, open mindness,, advocacy