Keep Sound Minds Announces 2011 Scholarship Program

July 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Keep Sound Minds Announces 2011 Scholarship Program
The New Hampshire based nonprofit organization Keep Sound Minds (KSM) is dedicated to increasing society’s understanding and management of mental health issues through training and advocacy at the regional and statewide level. The goals of KSM are to put an end to preventable tragedies, and to help people and families dealing with mental illness to realize that there is hope. With increased knowledge of the complexities of the mind through education and research, many lives could be improved or saved. If mental health issues are properly recognized, diagnosed and treated, people have a greater chance of living healthy, productive lives to their fullest potential.
The 2011 Keep Sound Minds Scholarship Program goals are to increase public awareness of mental health issues, stimulate thoughtful discussion and encourage proactive changes in the mental health care system, so that the needs of individuals, families and communities can adequately be addressed. The KSM Scholarship Program is open to current university or college students enrolled in an accredited Psychology undergraduate or graduate degree program, and either living or going to school in New Hampshire or Massachusetts, who are committed to pursuing careers in the mental health field. A $1500 first prize and a $500 runner-up scholarship will be awarded. Funds from these scholarships can be used to participate in mental health conferences, acquire books or manuals, defray the cost of research, purchase essential equipment or for direct college or university costs.
Required materials include a published Letter to the Editor that includes two parts: 1) the applicant's future career goals in the mental health field; and 2) future directions that the mental health field needs to take, with examples of one or two things that need to be improved in the mental health system, and should be a minimum of two paragraphs. This published letter must be submitted with a Cover Page that includes your contact information (name, mailing address, phone number, email), name of college or university, year you will graduate, general area of research or studies, full name/email of your advisor, name and date of newspaper that published your letter to the editor and a link to your published letter (if applicable). Please also indicate how often the newspaper is published, daily, weekly, etc. The letter must be published in a newspaper that has both a print and on-line edition and also has a regular distribution schedule. Two hard copies of your letter should be submitted with your Cover Page. Scholarship entry materials can either be mailed to KSM or submitted electronically, via the contact information on their website. The scholarship deadline is August 15, 2011. The KSM Board of Directors will choose the winning entry by September 15, 2011. For more information please visit the Keep Sound Minds website at www.keepsoundminds.org, contact them at (978) 662-9902 or via email at victoria@keepsoundminds.org.

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Keep Sound Minds (KSM), a New England-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to raising awareness about mental illness.