Our Mental Health Volunteer Ambassador Program
Helping bring interventional services to those suffering from mental illness.
Advance Psychiatric Care is committed to 'breaking the stigma' and taking action to help those suffering from mental health issues and getting them the interventional services they need.
We are seeking volunteers to help our office as we take on a new initiative to help 'break the stigma' surrending mental health.
We anticipate high influx of new patients as we take on community outreach work to reach out to those in need. The administrating of these vitals services cannot occur without your help.
We are looking for passionate people, no prior experience in mental health field is required. Just a willingness to work and assist in a support capacity.
To learn more on how you can become a vital member of our Ambassador Program, please contact us and include:
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your name,
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best way to reach you
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an intro on why you would like to help and what you can do or have experience doing
(i.e. familitary with mental health, office skills (specific skill sets), great communicator, or interest in joining the mental health field are just a few examples of what we are looking for in Ambassadors).
See the Person, Not the Condition
1 in 5 Americans live with a mental health condition and each of them has their own story, path and journey that says more about them than their diagnosis does.
Whether you are a friend, family member, caregiver or medical professional, getting to know a person and treating them with kindness and empathy means far more than just knowing what they are going through.
Help fight the stigma that keeps those in need suffering in silence.
Stigma is when someone, or even you yourself, views a person in a negative way just because they have a mental health condition. Some people describe stigma as a feeling of shame or judgement from someone else. Stigma can even come from an internal place, confusing feeling bad with being bad.
Navigating life with a mental health condition can be tough, and the isolation, blame and secrecy that is often encouraged by stigma can create huge challenges to reaching out, getting needed support and living well. Learning how to avoid and address stigma are important for all of us, especially when you realize stigma’s effects:
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People experiencing mental health conditions often face rejection, bullying and discrimination. This can make their journey to recovery longer and more difficult.
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Mental health conditions are the leading cause of disability across the United States.
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Even though most people can be successfully treated, less than half of the adults in the U.S. who need services and treatment get the help they need.
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The average delay between the onset of symptoms and intervention is 8-10 years.
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Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youth ages 15-24 and the tenth leading cause of death for all Americans.
*information and chart provided by NAMI
According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the need to eliminate stigma is nothing new. Fifteen years ago, a U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health—the first and only one to date—identified stigma as a public health concern that leads peoples to “avoid living, socializing or working with, renting to, or employing" individuals with mental illness. Thanks to stigma, people living with mental health conditions are:
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Alienated and seen as "others."
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Perceived as dangerous.
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Seen as irresponsible or unable to make their own decisions.
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Less likely to be hired.
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Less likely to get safe housing.
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More likely to be criminalized than offered health care services.
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Afraid of rejection to the point that they don’t always pursue opportunities.
Many people living with mental health conditions don’t feel comfortable talking to their friends and family about what they’re dealing with. Those living with a mental health condition don’t want it any more than a person would want a broken leg. But focused thought and effort can’t make depression go away, just as focusing on healing won’t fix a shattered bone.
Even worse, individuals living with mental illness often internalize the stigma that exists in our culture, damaging hopes for recovery. Some don’t seek treatment from a mental health professional. Their conditions worsen because they aren’t receiving the support and care they need to recover. And too often people take their own lives because they aren’t told by anyone that they’re not alone, they can recover and there is hope.