For Immediate Release
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Media Contacts:
Emily Singer, mtv@berlinrosen.com
CBS, NAACP, Nickelodeon, Selena Gomez & Rare Beauty, TikTok, World Health Organization (WHO) and YMCA Latest to Join ‘Mental Health Action Day’, Largest Cross-Sector Effort to Shift from Awareness to Action for Emotional Wellbeing
MTV Entertainment Group and more than 1,000 partners in more than 30 countries will encourage and empower people to take #MentalHealthAction on Thursday, May 20
More information and full list of partners at www.MentalHealthActionDay.org
NEW YORK CITY -- To address a global mental health crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the continued struggle of systemic racism, more than 1,000 organizations, brands, government agencies and cultural leaders have signed on to be part of the inaugural Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 20 during Mental Health Awareness Month. Spearheaded by MTV Entertainment Group, this open-source movement to shift culture from awareness to action on mental health has added more than 800 partners since its announcement one month ago.
Cultural and political leaders are among the new partners who are committed to encourage and empower their followers, fans, and constituents to take action on their mental health. Prominent supporters include:
Anna Akana, Actress and Writer
Maria Bamford, Comedian
Madison Beer, Singer-Songwriter and Mental Health Advocate
Molly Bernard, Actor and Producer
Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General
Rosalynn Carter, former U.S. First Lady & co-founder of The Carter Center
Wyatt Cenac, Actor, Comedian, and Creator of “aka Wyatt Cenac"
Deepak Chopra MD, Author and Founder of The Chopra Foundation
Tracy Chou, Founder and CEO, Block Party
Chelsea Clinton, Author, Advocate & Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation
Glenn Close, Actor and Bring Change to Mind Co-founder
Coodie & Chike, Award-Winning Directors of “Soul City”
Noah Cyrus, Singer-Songwriter
DJ Pauly D
Jenni “JWoww” Farley
Dr. Paul Farmer, Co-founder & Chief Strategist at Partners In Health
Grace Gaustad, Singer-Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist
Clark Gregg, Actor and Filmmaker
Chris Gethard, Actor, Comedian, and Host of “Beautiful/Anonymous"
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary
Jean Grae, Rapper, Comedian, and Creator of “That’s Not How You Do That"
Selena Gomez, Founder of Rare Beauty, Mental Health Advocate, Actress, Artist and Producer
Vinny Guadagnino
Brent Hayden, Olympic Swimmer for Team Canada
Mariel Hemingway, Actress
Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO, Thrive Global
Lauren Jauregui, Singer-Songwriter
Jazz Jennings, Transgender Activist, Author and star of the TLC series “I Am Jazz”
Jewel, Grammy Nominated Singer-Songwriter and Founder of the Inspiring Children Foundation
JoJo, Singer-Songwriter
Congressman John Katko (NY-24), Co-Chair of Congressional Mental Health Caucus
Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum and author of "A Common Struggle"
Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), U.S. House of Representatives
Jeremy Lin, Professional Basketball Player, Philanthropist
Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts LB
Arian Moayed, Succession, Waterwell Co-Founder
Dacre Montgomery, Actor
Kron Moore, Actress and Mental Health Advocate
Eric Nam, Singer-Songwriter and Entrepreneur
Aparna Nancherla, Comedian
Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Co-Chair of Congressional Mental Health Caucus
Lamar Odom, Former NBA Athlete, CEO and Entrepreneur
Rita Ora, Singer-Songwriter, Actress, and UNICEF Ambassador
Jared Padalecki, Actor and Founder of Mantra Labs
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi
Mónica Ramírez, Activist, Founder of Justice For Migrant Women, Co-founder of The Latinx House, and Founding Principal of Poderistas
Dr. Giuseppe Raviola, Director of Global Mental Health at Partners In Health
Dwayne De Rosario, Former MLS Athlete, 4-Time Canadian Player of the Year
Evan Ross, Actor and Musician
Jacob Sartorius, Musician
KayCee Stroh, Actor, High School Musical
Lindsey Stirling, Electronic Artist and Violinist
Solomon Thomas, Defensive Tackle for Las Vegas Raiders
Mikhail (Doctor Mike) Varshavski D.O. Board Certified Family Medicine,Content Creator, & People's Sexiest Doctor AliveGabriella Wright, Actress and Co-Founder, Never Alone Mental Health & Suicide Prevention
Roy Wood, Jr., Comedian and The Daily Show Correspondent
Tony Zosherafatain, Director and Co-Creator of “Trans in Trumpland"
“This purpose-driven and diverse group of cross-sector partners will shift our culture from awareness to action on mental health -- and the timing couldn’t be more spot-on,” said Erika Soto Lamb, Vice President of Social Impact Strategy at MTV Entertainment Group. “No matter who you are, we want you to hear the urgent call for mental health action on Thursday, May 20 -- for yourself, for your loved ones or for your community.”
A sampling of Mental Health Action Day activations includes:
REACHING A BROAD AUDIENCE
The Atlantic is holding a free, day-long event, In Pursuit of Happiness, to explore the human hold on happiness and ways to build a more meaningful life. The event features Arthur C. Brooks, Deepak Chopra, Angela Duckworth, spiritual leader T.D. Jakes, and a performance by the global company of Dear Evan Hansen.
Eventbrite will launch an online event collection of virtual wellness events and activities to help individuals discover and take action on prioritizing their mental and physical health.
First Look Media’s streaming service Topic is developing a talent-centered PSA with Chris Gethard, Wyatt Cenac, Josephine Bornebusch, and more, who will share their experiences and tips for taking mental health action. They will also host a Mental Health Action Day social challenge that encourages followers to document simple actions for a compilation post on May 20 that celebrates all the actions taken.
Headspace will host a live global meditation on TikTok on May 20th at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.
Into Action/TaskForce, together with leading artists, animators and illustrators, will host a mental health Creative Jam: a creative “design-a-thon” for mental health where hundreds of artists live co-create on Mandolin to develop over 500 digital-pieces focused on mental health.
Morgan Stanley will be raising awareness for Mental Health Action Day and mental health resources at their Times Square global headquarters signage.
MTV Entertainment Group's new multi-year campaign 'Mental Health Is Health' will feature content including PSAs, direct-to-camera talent takeovers, stand-alone franchise clips highlighting mental health stories, and a social media cleanse that will offer positive posts, hosted meditations and calming livestreams across MTV Entertainment's nine brand accounts: MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Paramount Network, Logo, TV Land, CMT, Smithsonian and Pop.
Queens Gaming Collective will host a 8-hour charity stream for Rise Above The Disorder for women gaming creators to support each other’s mental health to build a stronger support system and keep a healthy-mindset despite our daily obstacles on Twitch.tv/queensgg
Reddit will host an ‘Ask Me Anything’ with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford from Therapy For Black Girls.
Snap has partnered with Active Minds on a Mental Health Action Day filter encouraging Snapchatters nationwide to take action around mental health and wellbeing for themselves and their close friends and family.
Sound Mind Live in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will host the 2021 Sound Mind Mental Health Music Festival at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring All Time Low, Fitz & The Tantrums, Lovelytheband and more.
TikTok will feature the hashtag and content tagged #MentalHealthAction on the Discover page on Mental Health Action Day.
Unpack U Will host a webinar highlighting resources and actionable ways for the Pittsburgh community to be champions of mental health.
VS PINK and The Jed Foundation will host ‘Make Your Move Fest’ in May to encourage young adults to take action to support their mental health, including a fireside chat on the 20th with high-profile Gen-Z artists and advocates to talk openly about emotional health challenges and opportunities and how they are coping and supporting each other.
YouTube is partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on a workshop for how digital creators can develop positive mental health content to engage their audiences. On May 20th, they will curate a playlist of #MentalHealthAction videos from workshop attendees and mental health advocates on the homepage of YouTube.
REACHING PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
#MentalHealthPH (Philippines) will host a tweetchat to discuss important mental health issues in the Filipino community.
Our Minds Matter is engaging 90 student-led chapters across the world through their Thriving Together campaign by hosting free self-care activities open to the public and OMM student leaders focused on building protective factors, implementing wellness weeks, and sharing mental health resources online and in school for their peers to take action.
Partners In Health premier mental health experts, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur Eric Nam, and CEO of Block Party, Tracy Chou, will join together to discuss the intersection of racism and the current state of mental health care. They will examine how inequalities permeate health and society at large, explore the impact of racial stress and trauma, and educate audiences on how they can prioritize mental health during a time of much-needed healing.
UNICEF is promoting new and existing social media guides and resources to help empower young people, urging people to advocate for the Mental Health Services for Students Act, and featuring stories of young people from around the world taking action on mental health.
World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing a discussion with Dévora Kestel, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use at WHO, and Cynthia Germanotta, Co-Founder of Born This Way Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health, including a demonstration of exercises to help manage stress from 9 to 9:30 EDT on May 20th on YouTube.
REACHING THEIR EMPLOYEES
Adobe is featuring the initiative on their quarterly ‘Tune In, Take Care’ session series for global employees, with the main message that helping others is an effective mental health tool. Employees will be encouraged to donate to mental health causes like JED Foundation and volunteer as mentors to young people through Adobe’s non-profit partners worldwide.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is amplifying a dialogue with their employees about the importance of mental health and the resources that are available to them.
Feeding America is hosting a mental health webinar to support member food banks in effectively maintaining their mental health.
Kate Spade New York will host monthly Mental Health First Aid Trainings through October, in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, to offer their corporate and field teams the opportunity to become mental health first aiders.
Represent Justice is holding a staff session to talk about trauma-informed approaches to protecting mental health and wellbeing while working on justice issues.
ViacomCBS' Veterans Network will host two panels on their YouTube channel, one on “De-stigmatizing Mental Health in the Military Community,” and another entitled “Thriving Beyond Surviving – a conversation on PTSD and resiliency."
ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE
The Carter Center will host the 25th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum to address timely mental health policy issues facing the state of Georgia. Service providers, policymakers, advocates, and consumers from across Georgia are invited to participate free of charge.
Inseparable will launch a grassroots campaign to build support for the Mental Health Services for Students Act (H.R.721), which would provide funding for public schools across the country to establish on-site mental health care services for students.
The Kennedy Forum will connect people who are ready to get help for mental health challenges to more information about their rights to equal insurance coverage through its Don’t Deny Me campaign.
March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit fighting for the health of all moms and babies, is calling on lawmakers to support the Moms Matter Act, which addresses maternal mental health issues affecting BIPOC women. The organization is also hosting a webinar entitled “Honest Conversations about Infertility” on its Facebook channel on May 20 at 2:00 pm ET to build awareness and share mental health information and resources.
REACHING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
Aliento will amplify messages of why mental health matters from an immigrant lens, and aims to remove stigmas associated with mental health. They will focus on healing through arts, therapy, and storytelling.
Justice for Migrant Women along with partners National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Program, Latinx Therapy, and the Eva Longoria Foundation, with funding from The Workers Lab Innovation Fund and Collective Future Fund, is offering a new program called "Healing Voices" that pilots the use of technology to engage farmworkers and bring them together in virtual support groups to support healing, teach workers their rights, build community connections, and inspire change.
Therapy for Black Girls will host a free Zoom session for the community to discuss options for connecting with therapists and strategies to practice self-care and self-compassion.
The Manic Monologues, a play, film, and virtual experience showcasing diverse true stories of mental health and illness to disrupt stigma, by Prince George's Community College, featuring a majority BIPOC cast, will be released via Maryland local-cable and free-to-watch via YouTube anywhere.
NAACP Youth & College will host a Mental Health Week of Action May 17th-21st. Members across the country will take action on May 20th to move from awareness to action to provide mental health resources and support for youth & college. In addition student leaders will participate in live conversations with mental health practitioners throughout the week to promote necessary mental health resources for Black students in school.
The Safe Place, a culturally competent mental health app for the Black community, will share and highlight Culturally Competent resources. The Safe Place App is available on Android and iOS and provides helpful mental health resources when racially traumatic situations occur in the media and beyond
Sounds of Saving plans to release the latest video in its “Song That Found Me at the Right Time” series in partnership with National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It will feature queer indigenous recording artist Black Belt Eagle Scout covering the Grouper song, “Heavy Water / I'd Rather Be Sleeping” and discussing the importance of connecting with nature, music, therapy and the Swinomish community in the context of mental health.
Univision Communications Inc. is planning a multiplatform roadblock, which will activate over 120 television and radio stations around the country and over 200 social media accounts to connect viewers to mental health resources in Spanish.
REACHING PEOPLE DIRECTLY
Easterseals will host a “Donor Check-in Call” at 8pm ET on Mental Health Action Day featuring Easterseals President and CEO Angela F. Williams and mental health experts sharing findings from the organization’s recent research study on the impact of COVID-19 on children and adults with disabilities and those who care for them and offering tips on managing challenges that many of us are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. You can join by dialing in to 844-227-7564.
Shakira Johnson PR & Events is hosting a Mental Health Action Day Walk at Rahway River Park in New Jersey.
Morgan’s Message will empower high school and college athletes across the U.S. and Canada to reach out to peers and break the oftentimes unacknowledged stigma surrounding the relationship between mental health and athletics.
Piedmont High School’s (Monroe, NC) Break The Silence Club will play music during lunch and pass out Life Savers with a pocket-sized Mental Health Resource card attached. Club members will also encourage students to store key numbers in their phones.
Sound Mind Live in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will host the 2021 Sound Mind Mental Health Music Festival at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring All Time Low, Fitz & The Tantrums, Lovelytheband and more.
Saint City Culinary Foundation (San Antonio/Austin) will be distributing self-care packs to food & beverage workers that can be used during their shifts.
Simply Say Hey at Skidmore College will be hosting a pop up postcard writing event on campus encouraging students to reach out, check in, and simply say hey to friends and family members.
REACHING PEOPLE WITH FREE RESOURCES
Abundance of Hope Counseling is sharing free access to the 12-week W-A-I-T (Walk, Approach, Initiate and Transform) course material connected to the mindset in mental health, self-esteem (bariatrics and weight loss) using Solution Focused and Cognitive Behavioral Techniques free throughout the month of May.
Connor’s Climb will be making their Mental Health Action Plan card, a tool that aims to normalize talking to your family/guardians about mental health and to take a step further by making a PLAN, available to the community for free.
COVID Grief Network is offering free 1-1 and group grief support, and an online community for young adults grieving the illness or death of someone close to COVID-19. They will also host a free COVID Grief Network Broadway Live event on May 20 with a screening of the Seasons of Love COVID Grief Tribute followed by a conversation featuring Adam Kantor from the cast of RENT.
Genomind, which developed the Mental Health Map as the expert starting point for mental health and wellness, will be giving away free Mental Health Map consumer DNA test kits to the first 50 visitors with code ACTIONMHM. Learn about mental health traits you may be genetically predisposed to, and gain tools and techniques to help overcome obstacles and support strengths.
Ginger will kick off a year-long series of mental health dialogues that will feature a diverse mix of people and industries - artists, athletes, celebrities, CEOs, and leaders.
Mental Health Match is offering free services to match people with therapists and offering free employee workshops to large employers / wellness programs.
Mooditude is free in May! To commemorate national mental health month and promote self-awareness, our entire app, including the premium features, will be free of charge to encourage everyone to take the mental health assessment, discover their mental health status, and take actions to elevate their mental wellbeing.
New partners since initial announcement are here and a full list of partners is available here.
Mental Health Action Day is being planned with the support of TaskForce, a cultural organizing agency that builds capacity for those taking on the most pressing challenges facing our communities, our nation and our world. More on Mental Health Action Day can be found at MentalHealthIsHealth.us or you can follow along at #MentalHealthAction.
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About Mental Health Action Day
Mental Health Action Day is an open-source movement of brands, organizations, government agencies, and cultural leaders to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action. The first Mental Health Action Day will take place on May 20, 2021 with a mission to encourage and empower people to take their first actions on mental health -- whether for themselves, for their loved ones or for their communities , because mental health is health. Learn more at MentalHealthIsHealth.us
Easterseals will host a “Donor Check-in Call” at 8pm ET on Mental Health Action Day featuring Easterseals President and CEO Angela F. Williams and mental health experts sharing findings from the organization’s recent research study on the impact of COVID-19 on children and adults with disabilities and those who care for them and offering tips on managing challenges that many of us are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. You can join by dialing in to 844-227-7564.
Shakira Johnson PR & Events is hosting a Mental Health Action Day Walk at Rahway River Park in New Jersey.
Morgan’s Message will empower high school and college athletes across the U.S. and Canada to reach out to peers and break the oftentimes unacknowledged stigma surrounding the relationship between mental health and athletics.
Piedmont High School’s (Monroe, NC) Break The Silence Club will play music during lunch and pass out Life Savers with a pocket-sized Mental Health Resource card attached. Club members will also encourage students to store key numbers in their phones.
Sound Mind Live in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will host the 2021 Sound Mind Mental Health Music Festival at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring All Time Low, Fitz & The Tantrums, Lovelytheband and more.
Saint City Culinary Foundation (San Antonio/Austin) will be distributing self-care packs to food & beverage workers that can be used during their shifts.
Simply Say Hey at Skidmore College will be hosting a pop up postcard writing event on campus encouraging students to reach out, check in, and simply say hey to friends and family members.
REACHING PEOPLE WITH FREE RESOURCES
Abundance of Hope Counseling is sharing free access to the 12-week W-A-I-T (Walk, Approach, Initiate and Transform) course material connected to the mindset in mental health, self-esteem (bariatrics and weight loss) using Solution Focused and Cognitive Behavioral Techniques free throughout the month of May.
Connor’s Climb will be making their Mental Health Action Plan card, a tool that aims to normalize talking to your family/guardians about mental health and to take a step further by making a PLAN, available to the community for free.
COVID Grief Network is offering free 1-1 and group grief support, and an online community for young adults grieving the illness or death of someone close to COVID-19. They will also host a free COVID Grief Network Broadway Live event on May 20 with a screening of the Seasons of Love COVID Grief Tribute followed by a conversation featuring Adam Kantor from the cast of RENT.
Genomind, which developed the Mental Health Map as the expert starting point for mental health and wellness, will be giving away free Mental Health Map consumer DNA test kits to the first 50 visitors with code ACTIONMHM. Learn about mental health traits you may be genetically predisposed to, and gain tools and techniques to help overcome obstacles and support strengths.
Ginger will kick off a year-long series of mental health dialogues that will feature a diverse mix of people and industries - artists, athletes, celebrities, CEOs, and leaders.
Mental Health Match is offering free services to match people with therapists and offering free employee workshops to large employers / wellness programs.
Mooditude is free in May! To commemorate national mental health month and promote self-awareness, our entire app, including the premium features, will be free of charge to encourage everyone to take the mental health assessment, discover their mental health status, and take actions to elevate their mental wellbeing.
New partners since initial announcement are here and a full list of partners is available here.
Mental Health Action Day is being planned with the support of TaskForce, a cultural organizing agency that builds capacity for those taking on the most pressing challenges facing our communities, our nation and our world. More on Mental Health Action Day can be found at MentalHealthIsHealth.us or you can follow along at #MentalHealthAction.
###
About Mental Health Action Day
Mental Health Action Day is an open-source movement of brands, organizations, government agencies, and cultural leaders to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action. The first Mental Health Action Day will take place on May 20, 2021 with a mission to encourage and empower people to take their first actions on mental health -- whether for themselves, for their loved ones or for their communities , because mental health is health. Learn more at MentalHealthIsHealth.us
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