Fountain House Puts Mental Health on the Global Agenda

Hilton Humanitarian Prize winner works to improve the lives of people with mental illness around the world
 
NEW YORK - Oct. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- NEW YORK CITY— In honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10th, Fountain House urges everyone to make mental health a priority in their lives and in their community. As the first mental health organization to be awarded the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, Fountain House/Clubhouse International has created a successful model to help those with mental illness to reclaim their lives and realize their potential through work and the support of a caring community.

According to the World Health Organization, about 450 million people worldwide experience a mental or behavioral healthy disorder. Together, Fountain House and Clubhouse International offer support to more than 100,000 people through an innovative approach to community mental health which has been listed in the U.S. Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.

By recognizing this effort with the 2014 Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $1.5 million, the largest prize of its kind, the distinguished international Hilton jury has helped Fountain House put mental health on the global agenda. “It is with enormous gratitude that Fountain House/Clubhouse International accepts the Hilton Humanitarian Prize,” said Kenneth J. Dudek, President of Fountain House. “With this award, the Hilton Foundation recognizes mental illness as a global humanitarian crisis and acknowledges our model of empowering people living with mental illness around the world.”

On World Mental Health Day and every day, Fountain House is committed to reducing the stigma of mental illness across the globe. “In many developing countries people with mental illness are banished from society and engulfed by stigma. Those who are not hospitalized are often abandoned by their families and society and become homeless. Fountain House has always had a dual role both as a community of its members and as a recovery model for anybody living with mental illness anywhere in the world,” said Alan Doyle, Director of Education at Fountain House.

About Fountain House:

Since 1948, Fountain House has been creating the most innovative, cost-effective and successful mental health recovery centers in the world. Fountain House’s award-winning programs provide opportunities for people with serious mental illness to belong to a vibrant community that focuses on work, wellness, and social connections. Through its community model, Fountain House helps 1,300 people in New York City, and 100,000 people around the world, regain their dignity, independence, and health each year. www.fountainhouse.org

Media Contact
Ashley Womble
awomble@fountainhouse.org
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Tags:Humanitarian, Mental Health, World Mental Health Day, Mental Illness, Public Health
Industry:Medical, Non-profit
Location:New York City - New York - United States
Subject:Awards
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