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As we move forward with our Anti-Stigma initiative, we plan to create a campaign that will project the most positive and honest image of people with psychiatric disabilities. We believe that a focus on consumers' desire and ability to work will do the job.

To the public, holding down a job, whether compensated or volunteer, shows that a person is stable, productive, and responsible. A worker is someone who contributes to the community, a tax payer, an asset.

This is certainly the message an anti-stigma campaign wants and needs to convey. In addition, this campaign can do more than just battle stigma. It can also be used to develop more badly needed job opportunities. What a great added benefit.

I shared my thoughts with a group of consumer/advisors that I have long relied upon, in a meeting on February 23. We discussed the "blueprint" of this re-tooled anti-stigma campaign, which we expect to launch in May, Mental Health Awareness Month.

The multifaceted campaign is being designed to ensure the public knows that people with mental illness can work and want to work. It also aims to raise attention to the need to increase employment opportunities, and to create a climate where working individuals can feel comfortable to disclose their diagnosis, if they choose. These goals will be achieved through a poster campaign in the transit system, a press conference, outreach to the business community, developing a mechanism to better link employers and providers, development of educational materials, and a fall seminar.

The timing of the official beginning of the campaign is coming at an excellent time. It coincides with the completion of the comprehensive report on employment issues written by the Department of Mental Health's (DMH) Employment Task Force and with an influx of federal funds for welfare-to-work initiatives.

The shift in the campaign mirrors what I have been hearing from consumers at public hearings on the allocation of reinvestment funds. In the past, speakers at the reinvestment hearings wanted more treatment programs. Now the message is more housing and employment opportunities. The confluence of events provides a unique opportunity to plan and lay down a viable, sophisticated community infrastructure.

The new plan has been well received by consumers. However, there is a justifiable concern that government benefit work disincentives also need to be addressed. I believe that legislation now before Congress will help to counteract current work disincentives.

One consumer expressed approval for the change in the campaign's focus, as he agreed that the shift in focus moves us away from the sensational issue of violence and instead emphasizes the positive. "Talking about it (violence) is like buying into it," he said.

The campaign will be launched in May, Mental Health Awareness Month. This summer, posters will appear on subway platforms, in the trains, and on bus shelters. Their message will be that people with mental illness are working in our community and leading productive lives.

We plan to rely on consumers, in several capacities, to achieve the goals of this important campaign. Together our efforts will help to turn the tide against stigma.