Making it Sane: The Story of a Nonprofit Operated by People with Mental Illness
Wichita, Kansas
Start Date
2005
Brief Description
Making it Sane: The Story of a Nonprofit Operated by People with Mental Illness is a 27-minute documentary film created by a community psychologist, Louis Brown, to supplement the public awareness efforts of consumer-run organizations across Kansas.
Situation
Stigma towards individuals with mental illnesses is most often a result of misunderstanding or ignorance. If the general publics contact with individuals with mental illnesses is limited, it is difficult to change the manner in which people with mental illnesses are viewed. Contact with these individuals, as reported in the Developing a Stigma Reduction Initiative, is the most effective method of changing attitudes.
Solution
Making it Sane was created to provide an insiders understanding of what mental illness and participation in a consumer-run organization is like. The film chronicles the lives of four individuals with mental illnesses, their journeys toward recovery, and their collaborative operation of a nonprofit organization called the P.S. Club. Used as an educational documentary or a supplement to oral presentations, the film can improve the general publics knowledge of the lives of individuals with mental illnesses. This can help improve the manner in which these individuals and mental illnesses are seen.
Results
The film has been well received by mental health consumers, professionals, researchers, and students. It has enhanced the public awareness efforts of various consumer-run organizations in Kansas and has helped to educate the public about mental illnesses.
Contact
For further information about the film or to order a Making it Sane DVD, please contact the filmmaker, Louis Brown, by phone at 301-741-6131 or by e-mail at louis.d.brown@uth.tmc.edu.
Type
Local