Ashoka’s Changemakers Rethinking Mental Health Competition

Posted by on August 10, 2009

Ashoka’s Changemakers Launches Rethinking Mental Health Competition
Deadline: October 14, 2009

Ashoka’s Changemakers, in partnership with the Vulnerable Populations Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has announced the global launch of the Rethinking Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing collaborative competition.

Designed to help address the social stigmas that surround serious mental illnesses and prevent access to care, the online open-source competition invites entries featuring innovations that allow individuals, families, communities, and society to move past narrow perceptions of mental health and expand the understanding and collective involvement in finding solutions.

Innovators from around the world are invited to join the Changemakers community to nominate groundbreaking solutions, submit innovative ideas, vote for the top finalists, and interact with a network of committed supporters. The competition will provide three winners with awards of $5,000 to further their initiative, as well as extensive media exposure and collaborative support from the global community.

The competition is open to all types of organizations (charitable organizations, private companies, or public entities) from all countries. Entries should reflect the theme of the competition and indicate growth beyond the stage of idea, concept, or research. At a minimum, entries should be at the demonstration stage and indicate success. (While the competition’s organizers support new ideas at every stage and encourage their entry, the judges are only able to evaluate programs that are beyond the conceptual stage and can demonstrate impact, even at small scale.) Entries may be submitted in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.

Visit the Changemakers Web site for complete program information.

Link to Complete RFP: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/mentalhealth