California High School Students Invited to “Direct Change” for Suicide Prevention and Eliminating Stigma
Student filmmakers throughout California are invited to “Direct Change” by submitting videos for a statewide contest to prevent suicide and change minds about mental illness.
The contest is part of statewide efforts to prevent suicide, reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental illness, and to promote the mental health and wellness of students. These initiatives are funded by the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
“Many California students suffer silently and are often alienated when facing a mental illness. This contest represents a unique opportunity for students to become involved in raising awareness about student mental health issues and helping their peers to become better informed about mental health and wellness, stigma and discrimination, and youth suicide.” Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education.
Contest at a glance:
- Open to high school students in California
- Asks students to develop a 60-second public service announcement about suicide prevention or
- eliminating mental illness stigma during the 2012/13 school year
- Awards the winning team and associated school a $1000 cash prize
- Enters each school into a drawing for a free suicide prevention program
- Recognizes students and schools at an award ceremony in Sacramento at the end of the school
- year
To enter, students are strongly encouraged to read all submission and eligibility requirements and submit the Intent to Direct form available for download at www.DirectingChange.org prior to submitting their PSA. For each Intent to Direct form that is submitted the student’s school is entered for a chance to win a suicide prevention program.
Entry deadline to submit final PSA’s is March 1, 2013, 12 a.m. (midnight) PST. Questions? Email jana@directingchange.org.
About Directing Change
The Directing Change PSA contest is funded by the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63). It is one of several Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives implemented by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. CalMHSA operates services and education programs on a statewide, regional and local basis. For more information, visit www.calmhsa.org.
