We are living in a global mental health crisis – a time when millions are in despair and distress, and far too many are silently struggling. Fortunately, a new movement for mental health and well-being is rising, a movement to dismantle stigmas and redefine how we understand and respond to basic mental health needs.
“Health Heroes: Mental Health America” is a powerful new documentary that explores the story of one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the promotion of mental health and well-being. This is a story of new hope and possibility for all those in need and about the people working every day to make care more accessible, compassionate, and effective for all.
The film opens with a stark truth: The most urgent public health crisis of our time isn’t always visible. One in eight adults worldwide lives with a mental health condition, yet many feel isolated and unseen. This documentary doesn’t just diagnose the problem – it introduces the people behind the solution.
At the heart of the story is Mental Health America (MHA), a 115-year-old nonprofit founded by a young man whose personal experience with mental illness inspired him to fight the inhumane practices and harmful beliefs of the time. Since its beginnings as a social movement, MHA has grown into a national network of over 140 affiliates and a leading voice in research, advocacy and community-based care. MHA has always been grounded in lived experience, community connection and a commitment to responsive support and healing and recovery for all in need. They work tirelessly to advance mental health and well-being for everyone, everywhere.
You’ll hear from passionate leaders and advocates, including MHA president and CEO Schroeder Stribling, who believe that mental health is health – it is an integral part of overall physical health and true well-being is about supporting the whole person and their unique needs. That includes having access to basic needs like safe housing, supportive communities and care that fits their backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. MHA helps build a brighter future for millions across the country – and throughout the world – by designing critical programming that serves people from all walks of life. The Spirit in Mind initiative, for example, explores the connection between mental and spiritual health and its impact.
Young voices are critical to any social transformation and upstream approach, and the next generation also takes center stage in the documentary. Through programs like the Youth Leadership Council, MHA equips tomorrow’s changemakers to lead and create a more supportive world – online and off.
The film also takes aim at a broken mental health system that fails far too many. Advocates like MHA board member Amy Kennedy explain the urgent need for parity – or equal insurance coverage for mental and physical health care costs, alike. Until that’s achieved, too many families will continue to face impossible barriers to care.
This documentary is more than a story – it’s a call to action. It reminds us that mental health is a shared responsibility and that none of us are untouched by its challenges. It also reminds us that we can all be part of the solution.
Watch “Health Heroes: Mental Health America” to meet the people changing the conversation and to discover how you can be part of the movement to support mental health and well-being for all. Because there is no health without mental health.