Passion For Change Seeks Communications Professionals For Pilot Program And Pro Bono Projects

Both U.S. and British statistics show that one in four of us experiences a mental illness in a given year. And if you aren’t affected directly, mental illness will have an impact on your life through a family member, friend, neighbor, colleague, or through a chance encounter in the grocery store or on the street.  

Passion for Change, a Cleveland-area not-for-profit created to break the stigma of mental illness, is recruiting professionals in marketing and communications to participate in its core program, Communicators for Mental HealthSM. The program, designed as a national prototype, has been launched as a Greater Cleveland Pilot Project. The project is designed to train marketing and communications professionals through an online certificate course, “Understanding Mental Illness, Addiction, Stigma & Advocacy,” and then match them with underfunded local mental health/addiction organizations for a pro bono project. Together, they will help effect change through a shared passion. 

This is an exceptional opportunity for both marketing and communications professionals and mental health and addiction organizations. The pilot project is groundbreaking, with benefits all around. Marketing and communications professionals can enhance their resumes through education and a pro bono project in a specialized area and, as trained advocates, they will be better equipped to support family, friends, and colleagues dealing with a mental illness. Additionally, mental health and addiction organizations will have access to marketing and communications professionals who actually ‘get’ mental illness and stigma and are prepared to assist in a pro bono capacity.  

Passion for Change has been developing Communicators for Mental Health in partnership with Greater Cleveland mental health and addiction organizations. Its earlier Phase I included representatives from Center for Families & Children, MHS (now Frontline Service), May Dugan Center, NAMI Greater Cleveland, Recovery Resources, Spectrum of Supportive Services, and Suicide Prevention Education Alliance (now LifeAct).

Volunteers in a variety of fields—including public relations, marketing, social and electronic media, advertising, website development and graphics and fine arts—will find personal satisfaction in giving back to the community. It’s also an opportunity for them to put Greater Cleveland on the map in developing a national prototype.   

Passion for Change's mission is to be a catalyst in breaking the stigma of mental illness by shedding light, challenging misperception, and driving change through research, advocacy, and education. 

For more information or to apply for the Communicators for Mental HealthSM Greater Cleveland Pilot Project, contact Marilyn Mongeon Quill at 216.496.3295 or info@passionforchange.org. Website: www.passionforchange.org.