TOGETHER, WE CAN NOT ONLY ACCELERATE MENTAL WELLNESS IN OUR WORKPLACES,
​WE CAN also ACCELERATE HOPE.
​LET'S CO-CREATE A FUTURE WHERE WE ALL CAN FLOURISH.

Mental health stigma is keeping far too many who are suffering from reaching out for support. Hopelessness is the leading predictor of suicide. If mental health advocates stand together and collaborate, we can interweave a more inclusive story both persuasive enough to change society and powerful enough to shine a light on what the future should look like. 

​A future of no stigma. A future with where we lose fewer precious souls far too soon. A future of mental wellness. A future of hope. A future where we all can flourish.
​
Let's work together to create stigma-free workplaces, rebuilt on a foundation of empathy and caring, by sharing our lived experiences. A key to ending stigma (please read systemic discrimination) is to humanize it with storytelling. Per Patrick Kennedy's insight regarding suicide, we don't need to intellectualize stigma, we need to humanize it. We need to do the same with mental health stigma in our workplaces. 

Accelerating Mental Wellness is a grassroots cause-advocacy campaign now underway, and officially launching with a press release and corporate sponsor in January 2022. In preparation, we are galvanizing mental health advocates and concerned citizens from around the globe to show the world we support stigma-free support workplaces through:

• sharing of selfies in a wall of solidarity to replace the wall of stigma; and,
• sharing our lived-experience stories to humanize stigma with storytelling, thereby building the human case for stigma-free workplaces rebuilt on foundation of empathy and caring.

Given our unique lens, we can shift workplace cultures and change the workplace in ways other stakeholders simply can not. Our voices of insight, pain and suffering can influence and shape understanding on a truly deep and human level.

kerry martin
Co-Chair, United states

chief purpose officer, FOUNDER & Mental health activist, accelerating social good

eric kussin
Co-Chair, United states

We're REPLACING the WALL OF STIGMA WITH A WALL OF SOLIDARITY. And humanizing stigma with storytelling. But WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE. WE NEED YOUR HELP.

This is a rallying cry to advocates and concerned citizens to come together. To share our selfies and our stories in a collaborative and coordinated campaign to accelerate social change on behalf of those who are suffering in silence and shame. With must step up and speak out, a calling more salient in light of the Great Resignation.

Whilst it is easy to build a business case for workplaces to integrate mental health access and programming as a benefit, let's come together to do the hard work. Let's build a human case for rebuilding our workplaces on a foundation of empathy and caring.

If you are a mental health advocate or concerned citizen of the world, please consider joining us and raising your voice. Let's all stand up and be heard. And together, be so loud that eventually they must not only listen but TAKE A PLEDGE to either acknowledge the importance of this initiative or take concrete steps to create a stigma-free workplace with appropriate mental health programming and supports for employees. 

HOW DO WORKPLACES BECOME CERTIFIED AS STIGMA-FREE? TAKe A PLEDGE TO MEET OUR WORKPLACE WELLNESS CRITERIA 

If workplaces meet our stated Workplace Wellness Criteria (developed in collaboration with mental health advocates with lived experience) and take a pledge to abide by these criteria, they will be able to download our Accelerating Mental Wellness certification logo for inclusion on their website. By doing so, they are also agreeing to a one-year compliance check up.

If, on the other hand, they do not yet meet the criteria, they must pledge to taking the following steps during the onboarding process: 1) meet out stated criteria within a reasonable time frame; 2) hire a Wellness Strategist (or equivalent) to drive needed changes in the workplace or, if budgets do not permit a new hire, designate an internal team member as the point person; and 3) agree to a one-year compliance check up.

How can you help? 3 simple Ways for you to support

[1] Support with a Selfie and help us build our wall of solidarity in place of the wall of stigma. Upload a headshot and stand alongside other fellow advocates and concerned citizens in support of this campaign. ​

UPLOAD YOUR SELFIE TO OUR stigma-fighter WALL OF SOLIDARITY

[2] ​Support with a Story and help us build our human case. The business case is a no brainer. Upload a personal story speaking to an issue touched on by this campaign. For example, work place stigma (read discrimination) you have experienced in a previous or current workplace and how it impacted you or your life choices; how a lack of empathy and caring in your workplace has affected you; why you feel it is important for workplaces to adopt a more empathic and supportive environment, as well as mental health programming and supports, for those struggling with mental health concerns.

UPLOAD YOUR STORY TO help BUILD HUMAN CASE

[3] Support with a share (after Jan go-live): ​Help us raise awareness by sharing in your social channels. After all stories are curated and social media calendar is finalized, you will be notified when to share your story and the appropriate campaign hashtags to use. You are also free to share other advocate stories along with our general campaign social content. 

personal NOTE FROM founder ABOUT WHY "selfie-ing" up

Please allow me to introduce my why, i.e., the inspiration for this campaign: Sara. We have hashtags for one another: #saraslight and #kerryshope. 

Accelerating Social Good's mission is to create a world where our children can thrive. To do so, we simply must have work settings that empower all to shine, environments wherein my precious Sara's light is allowed to illuminate as bright as possible.

It is for Sara, who is now 24, and her beautiful friends, that I dedicate much of my time to ensure this cause-advocacy campaign exceeds our expectations.

What about you? What is your WHY? Please consider joining us, speaking up and sharing your story. We are simply stronger as advocates when we stand together. And, if we are here to affect social change, this is how we can do it. If not now, when?

With gratitude and with hope. ~ Kerry Martin, Sara's Number 1 Fan 

Founder, #SameHere global

Erin Macauley
Chair, AUSTRALIA

​chief Hope officer & Mental health activist, ​accelerating social good

Natasha Tracy, Chair, Canada

​Mental health aDVOCATE, AWARD-WINNING WRITER, SPEAKER & SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT, NATASHATRACY.COM

hitesh gupta,
​CHAIR, INDIA

​Mental health activist

Leanna Lee, Campaign contributor

​FUTURE OF WORK AND WELLBEING WRITER, CO-HOST OF BETTERMENTAL

show up. stand up. speak up.
​SHOW YOUR SUPPORT WITH A SELFIE AND/OR STORY.

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VISIT our wall of solidarity