Mental Health Program - In the News Archive

Oct. 9, 2022
The Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health (PDF)
Published by The Lancet.
It is time to end all forms of stigma and discrimination against people with mental health conditions, for whom there is double jeopardy: the impact of the primary condition and the severe consequences of stigma. Indeed, many people describe stigma as being worse than the condition itself. This Lancet Commission report, which cites the Carter Center's mental health work in Liberia, is the result of a global collaboration.

Aug. 3, 2022
How The New Georgia Mental Health Law Works
Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
There’s a new law on the books that should make accessing treatment for mental illness and addiction much easier. But some proponents of the new law fear that many Georgia residents may not know about the change. That means patients could continue to pay out of pocket for treatments that should be covered, or choose to forgo needed medical care entirely.  

May 27, 2022
Georgia Advocates Celebrate ‘Historic’ Passage of State Mental Health Parity Law
Published by Mental Health Weekly.
Carter Center expert Helen Robinson is interviewed in this Mental Health Weekly article about the passage of this historic Georgia Mental Health Parity Act, effective July 1. For the first time, the state of Georgia will enforce parity in insurance coverage for behavioral health. Advocates believe this law will also help reduce stigma around mental health. 

Jan. 5, 2022
Georgia Legislators Plan Push to Insure Mental Health on Par with Physical Coverage
Published by Georgia Recorder.
A little-known federal law passed when President George W. Bush occupied the White House requires insurers to give behavioral health care equal footing with medical benefits.That means, if a person’s co-pay is $10 to have chest pains checked out by a medical doctor, then an insurer that offers mental health coverage cannot charge a higher co-pay for the same person to see a behavioral health specialist about anxiety or depression. The law applies to both mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

Oct. 11, 2021
The Carter Center Continues to Combat Social Stigma Surrounding Mental Health 
Published by WABE.
Dr. Kashef Ijaz, the vice president for Health Programs at The Carter Center, says the even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. already was experiencing a mental health crisis. On Monday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Dr. Ijaz told show host Rose Scott that fear, grief, isolation brought on by the pandemic have led to depression, anxiety, suicidal idealization but now as more people are speaking out about mental health, it’s time to seize the moment and ensure health care access for everyone.

Aug. 5, 2021
A Bipartisan Group of Former Health Officials Urge More Safety Rules in the Private Sector 
Published by The New York Times.
A bipartisan group of officials from the past five presidential administrations, as well as public health experts, are pressing private sector leaders to adopt a new set of recommendations to maximize coronavirus vaccination among their employees.

May 24, 2021
Rosalynn Carter Recognized by WHO for Mental Health Advocacy
Published by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has been a leading advocate for mental health and substance use treatment for more than 50 years. On Monday, the 75th assembly of the World Health Organisation recognized her lifetime achievement when WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros presented Carter with an award for global health. Carter was one of three people honored on Monday. 

April 26, 2021
Pandemic Proves Global Mental Health Can’t Be Ignored
Published by The Saporta Report.
Global mental health has been called the “silent,” “parallel,” or “next” pandemic. In fact, mental health was deteriorating even before the COVID-19 crisis unfolded.

March 25, 2021
The Carter Center Calls for 'Urgent Action' to Improve Mental Health Care Access in Georgia
Published by Georgia Public Broadcasting.
A new report from Georgia’s Behavioral Health Commission says the state needs to make improvements when it comes to how people access mental health care. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports.

Feb. 18, 2021
Carter Center Director Shares Resources for Children's Mental Health
Published by Georgia Public Broadcasting.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit public school systems hard with many kids still attending classes online. And for some students that’s taking a significant toll on mental health. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports.

Nov. 9, 2020
Carter Center Discusses 2020 Changes in Mental Health Conversation, Access to Care
Published by Mental Health Weekly. Subscription required.
In 2020, a significant number of people experienced grief over separation from loved ones and people of color continued to be traumatized by systemic racism. Perhaps one positive outcome has been the willingness of many to talk openly about mental needs and mental health care, says the CEO of The Carter Center.

Oct. 28, 2020
A Deal With The DOJ Helped Some Of Georgia’s Most Vulnerable, But Gaps Remain
Published by WABE.
For a year of her life, Linda Ferguson lived in a booth at a transit stop. She spent another year living under a bridge. Her homelessness, she says now, “was a bad situation. Nobody likes to be outside. It’s a very insecure feeling.’’ At one point Ferguson, who deals with severe anxiety attacks, lost her car to theft. Later, her personal belongings were taken. But for the past seven years, Ferguson, now 66, has had a place to call her own. She lives in an apartment in southeast Atlanta, thanks to a supported housing voucher for homeless people with mental illness.

June 25, 2020
Carter Center Trains 150 Traditional Leaders
Published by The New Dawn Liberia.
With daily increase of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Liberia, Carter Center in partnership with the Ministry of Health, National Public Health Institute of Liberia, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, respectively is training 150 traditional leaders in Maryland County on how to prevent spread of the virus, especially in rural communities. The training brought together 19 paramount chiefs, 38 clan chiefs and 94 general town chiefs, respectively.

June 22, 2020
Covid-19 Amplifies Carter Center Efforts in Liberia
Published by Global Atlanta.
Once again The Carter Center is in the midst of providing relief to a health-related crisis in Liberia. This time, it’s containing the Covid-19 virus. But unlike the past health and mental health crises, the center has a legacy of in-country experience to aid in its response. Once the coronavirus was first detected in mid-March in the West African country and began to spread, its government requested the center to assist with prevention efforts and mental health support.

June 12, 2020
Parity Needed In Insurance Coverage For Depression, Anxiety As Pandemic Affects Mental Health
Published by GPBNews.
The Carter Center says now is the time to look closely at how insurance companies cover mental health treatment. The 2008 Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires insurers to cover illnesses of the brain in the same way as illnesses of the body, but it’s not enforced in Georgia, Helen Robinson with The Carter Center said.

May 22, 2020
Take Stock of Your Mental Health During the Pandemic (and What to Do Next)
Published by CNN.
The reality of job losses, economic uncertainty, social isolation, homeschooling kids, canceled vacations — all piled on top of fear of an unseen and deadly virus that attacks via the air we breathe — is taking its toll. Carter Center Mental Health Program Director Eve Byrd talks about the increase in mental health conversations during the pandemic and the impact this has on stigma.

May 13, 2020
Exercise Helps Your Mental Well-being
Published by WSBTV.
Channel 2’s Justin Farmer spoke with Eve Byrd, director of the Carter Center Mental Health Program, about the impact of exercise on mental health during the pandemic.

May 13, 2020
Crisis Shows Importance of Mental Health, Caregiving
Op-ed by Eve Byrd and Jennifer Olsen published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, mental health has become a common discussion topic among the public, media, and health providers. Will the crisis help "normalize" the way mental health and caregiving are viewed and help reduce the stigma typically surrounding these topics?

April 3, 2020
Easing the Isolation During the Coronavirus Crisis
Published by Next Avenue.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has much of the world sheltering in place. While it may be frustrating and challenging for many, this increased isolation is especially hard on the mental and physical health of older adults — the same group most at risk of getting the virus with and severe consequences of infection.

Jan. 15, 2020
Atlanta’s Global Effort To Remove Mental Health Stigma
Published by WABE.
The Carter Center, with the Georgia Global Health Alliance and the Center for Victims of Torture, present a panel discussion: "Atlanta’s Role in the Global Mental Health Revolution."  Learn about the Center's decades of work to remove the stigma associated with mental health treatment and care.

Jan. 13, 2020
Global Mental Health Gains Momentum, Gives Hope
Published by Saporta Report.
Op-ed by Dr. Eve Byrd
Dr. Eve Byrd, director of the Carter Center's Mental Health Program, is heartened to see global mental health disorders gain the attention and resources needed to be on par with the human and economic toll they cause around the world. 

Oct. 12, 2019
Post-war Liberians Are Demanding Better Mental Health Care
Published by ABC News.
More than a decade after back-to-back civil wars ravaged Liberia, its people still await justice for countless abuses, and many say the lack of accountability is worsening a mental health crisis. Working with the Liberian government, The Carter Center has helped to create a corps of over 340 locally trained and credentialed mental health clinicians now serving all 15 counties in the country.

May 30, 2019
We Are at the Beginning of a Global Mental Health Revolution
Published by CNN.com
Op-ed by Rosalynn Carter and Bill Jallah
Access to mental health services has never been more critical -- no matter where you live. Mental health disorders are increasing globally, and depression is the leading cause of disability in the world. One in four of us will experience a mental illness at some point in our lives, according to the World Health Organization. And many more are indirectly affected by disorders experienced by someone we love.

April 17, 2019
As Youth Suicides Increase, These Teens Want to Save Lives
Published by KUOW.
When high school senior Dominic Jansen heard of a third grader who was contemplating suicide, he said it hit him hard. That’s when he decided to form a peer mentoring group of six high schoolers. They are available to talk with middle schoolers who are struggling, who need help in school, or who just want comfort.

April 17, 2019
Carter Center Hosts Forum On School-Based Mental Health
Published by Georgia Public Broadcasting.
The first of six regional School-Based Behavioral Health Forums was held this week at The Carter Center in Atlanta. Panels addressed ways to make the most of the $8.4 million in funding Gov. Brian Kemp pledged to pay for more mental health counselors in schools through the Georgia Apex Program.

Jan. 2, 2019
To Get Mental Health Help For A Child, Desperate Parents Relinquish Custody
Published by NPR.
When Toni and Jim Hoy adopted their son Daniel through the foster care system, he was an affectionate toddler. They did not plan to give him back to the state of Illinois, ever.

Nov. 12, 2018
In Liberia, Survivors of Ebola and Civil War Now Struggle with Mental Illness
Published by PBS.
In 2014, an Ebola outbreak ravaged three West African countries. Now many of the same communities are facing a new health struggle: mental illness. In rural Liberia, diseases such as depression and schizophrenia are often considered a “curse” and relegated to treatment from spiritual healers. Special correspondent Molly Knight Raskin reports, in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Oct. 8, 2018
New Report to Mark 10‐year MHPAEA Anniversary Finds States Failing at Parity
Published by Mental Health Weekly.
A new report released Oct. 3 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) has found that 32 states have received failing grades for statutes designed to ensure equal access to mental health and addiction treatment. Observers say they had hoped to see a lot more progress in the 10 years since the federal law passed.

Sept. 28, 2018
We Must Treat Mental and Bodily Health the Same. It’s a Matter of Human Rights.
Rosalynn Carter, Patrick J. Kennedy op-ed, published by The Washington Post.
Almost 10 years have passed since Congress required that insurers offering mental-health services for illnesses of the brain, such as depression or addiction, do so no more restrictively than illnesses of the body, such as diabetes or cancer. And yet most insurers today still do not comply with the law.

June 13, 2018
Liberia’s Progress in Advancing Mental Health
Published by Africa 54, Voice of America.
Liberia has gone from having just one psychiatrist for the entire country to employing almost 250 clinicians serving all 15 counties. Learn about the Carter Center’s work with the Liberian government to boost mental health for adults and children by training health workers and supporting a national mental health law. VOA reporter Kim Lewis reports from Liberia. (The story runs from 5:42 through 12:06.)

May 11, 2018
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Receives Award During Mental Health Forum 
Published by WSB-TV.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter received an award during the 23rd annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum. During the forum, new data on children’s mental health in Georgia was released by the CDC.

May 9, 2018
New Initiative Will Drive Atlanta’s Reputation as the Center for Global Health
Published by Global Health ATL.
The Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Global Health Alliance and Deloitte announced the launch of Global Health ATL. The initiative’s priorities are to create a health innovation hub in the heart of metro Atlanta and drive impact in areas such as disease eradication, economic development and disaster response.

Oct. 19, 2017
Liberia Graduates 3rd Class of Mental Health Clinicians
Published by The Bush Chicken.
This graduating class means that 230 professionals have now been trained through the collaboration between the Carter Center Mental Health Program and the Liberian government.

Oct. 3, 2017
Ministry of Health, Partners Observe World Mental Health Day
Published by Front Page Africa.
The Ministry of Health and its partners have on Monday, October 1, observed World Mental Health Day in Liberia with a call for mental health issues to be discussed at work places.

April 11, 2017
A Sound Mind is a Sound Investment: Rosalynn Carter and Chirlane McCray
Published by USA Today.
Authors: Rosalynn Carter and Chirlane McCray
The first thing every American needs to understand about mental illness and substance use conditions is that with timely diagnosis and proper treatment, the overwhelming majority of people can recover and lead fulfilling lives. The second thing everyone should know is that we all have a stake in making sure that everyone has access to high-quality, affordable health care.

Sept. 26, 2017
Journalists Create Mental Health Awareness
Published by The Peninsula, Qatar’s Daily Newspaper.
Three Qatar-based journalists trained to write about mental health problems, have started to contribute their work in creating awareness about dealing with mental health issues.Individuals living with mental health issues continue to be misunderstood, discriminated against, and stigmatised by society.

Sept. 25, 2017
Qatar- based journalists work with WISH and Carter Center to improve reporting on mental health
Published by Qatar Tribune.
In the Middle East, a perceived lack of societal support and understanding for mentally ill people means that those dealing with mental health issues often suffer in silence or refuse treatment.

Sept. 22, 2017
Fellowships to Focus on Mental Health in the UAE
Published by Total UAE.
Bin Chaibah is one of the two Emirati women selected from a pool of competitive applicants to receive the 2017-2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism programme, held by Al Jalila Foundation, in partnership with The Carter Centre.

Aug. 11, 2017
Al Jalila declares 2 Emirati recipients of mental health fellowship programme
Published by The Gulf Today.
Al Jalila Foundation, in partnership with The Carter Centre, has announced two UAE recipients of the 2017-2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism programme

June 1, 2017
Carter Center Congratulates Liberians on Passage of Landmark Mental Health Act
Published by Front Page Africa.
The Carter Center congratulates Liberia on the passage of its first law to improve health care for people with mental illnesses and prevent discrimination against them.

May 31, 2017
The Carter Center and Mental Health
Published by Human Potential at Work.
Listen to a podcast interview with Rebecca Palpant Shimkets, associate director for the Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. Rebecca shares her thoughts about overcoming the stigma around talking about mental health and efforts that the Carter Center is taking to create accurate portrayals of mental health in the media.

April 22, 2017
After Ebola, Liberians Slowly Embrace Mental Health Care
Published by the Associated Press.
Drawn-out deaths. Communities torn apart. Survivor's guilt. Patrick Fallah says his memories of the days when the Ebola virus swept through Liberia are so awful that he sometimes has trouble focusing on the present.

Sept. 23, 2016
When Reporting on Others’ Trauma, How Do We Take Care of Our Own?
Published by Poynter.org.
The Carter Center’s Rebecca Palpant Shimkets, associate director of the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program, talks about how journalists can better take care of their own mental health.

Aug. 4, 2016
First Lady Rosalynn Carter Brings Mental Health Fight to the GCC 
Published by PhilanthropyAge.org.
Former US first lady Rosalynn Carter has for 46 years campaigned to end the stigma of mental illness. Through the Carter Center, the foundation established with her husband, she has fought to raise global awareness of mental health issues, and to remove the barriers that prevent people from receiving proper care.

July 25, 2016
How The Carter Center Uses Journalism Fellowships to Reduce Mental Health Stigma 
Published by ivoh.org.
Twenty years ago, coverage of mental illness and substance abuse was even more riddled with misconceptions and stigmatizing language that can hurt people trying to seek treatment, get jobs and foster relationships. That’s why former First Lady Rosalynn Carter started fellowships for journalists who could work to raise awareness about mental health and tell more nuanced, compassionate stories.

July 14, 2016
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter: Stop Segregating Georgia Students with Disabilities
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Author: Maureen Downey & Rosalynn Carter
In this essay, former first lady Rosalynn Carter writes on behalf of the Georgia Coalition for Equity in Education about the U.S. Justice Department’s charge the state is illegally segregating students with disabilities in separate and substandard schools that isolate the children from peers.

July 1, 2016
Hearing Our Elders - Following Inspiration: A Conversation with Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter
Published by the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development.
It is an honor to announce the third publication of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development’s Hearing our Elders series that features excerpts from an interview with former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Her interview captured six critical themes: “really listening with an empathic ear, resilience/persistence, commitment across time, thinking like a global citizen, a quiet-storm leadership style, and self-discovery in service to others”.

June 7, 2016
The ‘Most Dangerous Man in Football’ Traded an NFL Career for an Internship
Published by The Washington Post.
After one successful season in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, Chris Borland retired early do to concern over a possibility of chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. CTE is caused by repetitive brain trauma common among football players. In May, Borland began a 2 1/2 month internship at The Carter Center with the Mental Health Programs.

March 18, 2016
Does Your Doctor Screen You For Depression? Why Not?
Published by How Stuff Works.
Depression is the second leading cause of disability in America. However, behavioral health is separate from most basic health care. According to Dr. John Bartlett, senior project adviser for the Primary Care Initiative at Atlanta's Carter Center, primary care physicians need to regularly screen for depression and recognize the prevalence of the disease.

March 2016
Mental Health Services in Liberia: Building Back Better
Published by World Health Organization.
WHO and it's partners are working to train health professionals to care for people with mental illness.

Feb. 10, 2016
Ebola Still Takes Mental Toll on West Africa’s ‘Burial Boys’
Published by The Wall Street Journal.
In West Africa, many cities were ravaged by Ebola. The "Burial Boys" set out to help bury the victims of the disease as a way to produce a steady income for their families. However, instead they are left with depression and addiction. With little to know mental health care in West Africa, there is very little help or resources for these individuals

Nov. 23, 2015
Expert: Nurses Key to Revolution in Mental Health Care
Published by the Epoch Times.
If mind and body are one thing, then health care for the mind and body should become one thing. Yet huge walls separate physical health care and behavioral health care, according to experts and scholars.

Nov. 15, 2015
Rosalynn Carter Takes a Fresh Look at Human Resources
Published by Behavioral Healthcare.
The 2015 Annual Symposium on Mental Health Policy was held at the Carter Center on Nov. 12-13. The theme focused on a growing concern that affects us all: "Help Wanted: Reshaping the Behavioral Health Workforce."

Oct. 12, 2015
Sen. Coleman Wants Collective Campaign Against Mental Illness
Published by The New Dawn (Liberia).
Senator Coleman, a medical doctor and former Minister of Health, says the plight of people with mental illness is alarming to the fact that they have been stigmatized by society, including community residents, something which imposes serious detention to them.

Oct. 8, 2015
MOH Trains 166 Mental Health Personnel in the Country
Published by Liberia News Agency.
The Ministry of health says it has completed the training of 166 health personnel to provide mental health clinical services at health centers across the country. The unit through the ministry is collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO), Carter Center, UNICEF and other partners involved in mental healthcare to address the issue of stigma, train mental health clinicians and provide care for mentally ill persons in the country.

Sept. 21, 2015
The Invisible Epidemic: Poor and Mentally Ill in Georgia
Published by Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Misty Williams reports on the nationwide impact of undiagnosed mental illness as a part of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism at the Carter Center. Nationwide, 30 states have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act - dramatically improving access to care for people with mental illness. Georgia, however, has not. Instead, tens of thousands of people in Georgia remain uninsured and suffer from untreated mental illnesses - such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia - so severe they can't function in day-to-day life.

Sept. 17, 2015
Three Key Questions and Four Facts About Mental Health
Published by the Epoch Times.
The Carter Center and the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched a new national journalism guide about the best way to report on mental health at the Carter Center on Sept. 16.

Sept. 9, 2015
Carter Center Exceeds Goal for Liberia Mental Health Trainees
Published by Global Atlanta.
The Carter Center has now trained 166 mental health clinicians in Liberia, exceeding its goal of 150 in an ongoing effort to help the West African nation's health ministry meet its dire need for expanding access to care in this largely neglected field.

July 2, 2015
Georgia Misses Federal Mark on Housing for the Disabled
Published by Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The state's behavioral health agency will remain under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice - at least for now - after failing to move enough Georgians with developmental disabilities out of state-run hospitals and into the community.

May 19, 2015
Georgia Negotiates Over Developmental Disability Transfers
Published by 90.1 WABE (Atlanta).
Georgia is in negotiations with the federal government over a 2010 settlement reached with the U.S. Justice Department. By June 30, the state was supposed to move all people with developmental disabilities out of state-run hospitals and into community settings. But the state is not going to meet that deadline.

May 19, 2015
Lakota Fight Suicide Spirit with Crowdfunding
Published by Indian Country Today Media Network.
Frustrated with the often burdensome reporting and management demands of federal mental health funding, the Tiospaye Sakowin Woonspe na Woapiye O'Tipi, Seven Extended Families Education and Healing Center have created a grassroots, spiritually and culturally based Lakota healing camps for at-risk young people.

May 18, 2015
CDC: Georgia's Use of ADHD Medication for Children Above Average
Published by 90.1 WABE (Atlanta).
Too many young children in the U.S. and Georgia with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might be getting medication rather than behavioral therapy. That's according to the CDC, based on results from its national parental survey on ADHD. The survey was presented by a CDC researcher during a recent mental health forum at The Carter Center.

April 20, 2015
Buried Above Ground
Directed & produced by Ben Selkow.
Former 2010-11 Carter Center Mental Health Journalism Fellow and documentary filmmaker Ben Selkow interweaves the stories of a soldier, domestic violence survivor, and Hurricane Katrina evacuee fighting to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) into one powerful narrative.

Dec. 2, 2014
These Local Ebola Heroes Could Use Your Help
Published by BuzzFeed News.
You probably already know that big groups like USAID< the World Health Organization, and Doctors Without Borders are leading Ebola response. But local organizations play a critical role. Here are a few we talked to in Liberia, and how you can help.

Sept. 10, 2014
Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness: Looking for Heartfelt Leaders
Published by The Huffington Post.
No one has said it better than former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. The heart and soul of The Carter Center and its founder has led the charge to promote mental health care and treatment for children, adults and families in the U.S. for more than three decades. As noted, "The Carter Center Mental Health Program's mission to increase access to mental health services began more than 30 years ago and continues to be at the heart of our work."

May 16, 2014
Thousands of Toddlers Are Medicated for A.D.H.D, Report Finds, Raising Worries
Published by The New York Times.
More than 10,000 American toddlers 2 or 3 years old are being medicated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder outside established pediatric guidelines, according to data presented on Friday by an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, which found that toddlers covered by Medicaid are particularly prone to be put on medication such asRitalin and Adderall, is among the first efforts to gauge the diagnosis of A.D.H.D. in children below age 4. Doctors at the Georgia Mental Health Forum at the Carter Center in Atlanta, where the data was presented, as well as several outside experts strongly criticized the use of medication in so many children that young.

March 24, 2014
Healing the Psychological Scars Crippling Liberia in the Wake of Civil War
Broadcast on PBS NewsHour.
After 14 years of civil war, more than 40 percent of Liberians suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. But most have nowhere to turn; the cash-strapped West African nation has only one psychiatrist for 4 million people. Special correspondent Molly Knight Raskin reports on one man's devotion to healing these national psychological scars.

Jan. 24, 2014
Befriend Your Monsters: Mental Health Lessons from Eminem and Rihanna
Published in Everyday Health.
What if, as 2014 continues, we instead resolved to make peace with ourselves as we are now, whether we have a physical disability, mental illness, or significant loss? More than likely, if we all did this, the communities we live in would also be more accepting of our differences. Hope can propel positive change.

Nov. 9, 2013
Carter, Bush Backed Mental Health Equality Now Bipartisan Part of ACA
Published in Forbes.
Long advocated by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn and signed into law five years ago by President George W. Bush, rules to require equal coverage for mental illness will finally be implemented.

Nov. 8, 2013
Sebelius Boosts Affordable Care Act
Published on WebMD.
Kathleen Sebelius, the beleaguered Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), tried to put a better face on the rocky rollout of the HealthCare.gov web site during two stops in Atlanta on Friday.

Nov. 8, 2013
Feds Boost Mental Health Access, Treatment
Published by CNN.com.
In a move aimed at boosting mental health treatment, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday announced new rules that will pull teeth in 2008 mental health equity law.

Nov. 8, 2013
Mental Health Parity Clears Last Hurdle
Published in Georgia Health News.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, visiting Atlanta on Friday, announced that final rules have been issued on insurance parity between mental health/substance abuse benefits and general medical benefits.

Nov. 8, 2013
US to Require Insurers to Cover Mental Health, Addiction Same as Physical Illness
Published in NBC News.com.
The Obama administration will require insurers to cover mental health and addiction just as they cover physical illnesses.

Nov. 7, 2013
Feds to Require Equal Coverage for Mental Ills
Published in the New York Times, Herald-Tribune.
The Obama administration on Friday will complete a generation-long effort to require insurers to cover care for mental health and addiction just like physical illnesses when it issues long-awaited regulations defining parity in benefits and treatment.

Sept. 7, 2013
Moultrie Police Chief Trains African Officers
Published in the Moultrie Observer.
Chief Frank N. Lang Sr. of the Moultrie Police Department recently returned from a trip to the west African nation of Liberia.

Aug. 20, 2013
Removing Stigma of Mental Health Treatment Could Boost Worker Productivity
Published in Business Insider.
Employers could boost worker productivity and reduce absenteeism by helping remove the stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental health issues, several experts told members of the Disability Management Employer Coalition on Monday.

Aug. 28, 2013
Mending Minds Documentary: Part 1 & Part 2
Broadcast on Al Jazeera English.
Between 1989 and 2003, Liberia was torn apart by brutal civil wars that left around 250,000 people dead and millions more suffering.

July 31, 2013
Liberia: Carter Center Warns Against Maltreatment of Mentally Ill People
Published in AllAfrica.
Addressing media practitioners in a two day workshop themed "The Media and Mental Health" that began on the 30th of July, Dr. Cooper noted that mentally ill people in Liberia and parts of Africa today are being stigmatized by misconceptions people have about them.

June 25, 2013
Psychiatrist on a Mission to Help Mentally Ill People in Poor Countries
Published in Psychiatric News.
It's a long way from the bucolic town of Paupack, near Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, to the dusty, polluted city of Kathmandu, Nepal.

June 11, 2013
Focusing on Mental Health
Published in Saporta Report.
When talking about global health activity here in Atlanta, we typically focus on diseases like malaria, Guinea worm or river blindness. We also talk about access to clean water, sanitation and essential medicines.

June 7, 2013
Influential Journal Devotes Issue to Mental Health Stigma
Published by Psychiatric News (American Journal of Psychiatry).
In its first complete issue on the topic of mental health stigma, the American Journal of Public Health's May edition explores the different ways stigma effects how those with mental health disorders are treated in various settings, often influencing their ability to get treatment.

June 5, 2013
War-Scarred Liberia Battles Its 'Demons'
Published by Agence France Presse.
Elijah Rufus was 10 years old when a spiritual healer in the Liberian capital Monrovia doused him with chicken's blood and declared that his frequent convulsions were the result of demonic possession.

June 3, 2013
Local Experts Encouraged by President's Speech on Mental Health
Broadcast by WABE-FM.
Several local mental health experts say they're encouraged by remarks made by President Obama today during a national conference on mental health.

May 31, 2013
APHA, Carter Center Team Up Against Mental Health Stigma
Published by Public Health Newswire.
Working closely with The Carter Center, the American Journal of Public Health dedicated its May issue to the topic of mental health stigma, an issue First Lady Rosalynn Carter has championed for more than 40 years.

May 20, 2013
DOJ Pact Shows Results, Challenges Remain
Published by Georgia Health News.
Following Georgia's 2010 agreement with the Department of Justice to deinstitutionalize much of the state's mental health programs, state officials shared updates about progress, challenges and lessons learned by the department at the Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum.

May 17, 2013
CDC Releases First Comprehensive Report on Children's Mental Health
Broadcast on WABE-FM.
At a forum hosted by The Carter Center, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tom Frieden presented Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter with the first national comprehensive report of the mental health of children.

May 16, 2013
CDC: Mental Disorders Rising in Children
Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
According to a May 17, 2013 report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diagnosed mental health disorders are rising in children in the United States based on data from multiple national surveys and databases.

May 13, 2013
My Q&A With FLOTUS Pioneer: Mental Health 2013
Published by Psychology Today.
A rare opportunity: In February I met former United States President Jimmy Carter. He was kind enough to facilitate my being able to ask former First Lady Rosalynn Carter about her pioneering work with mental health awareness, her ongoing activities, and mental health issues in the U.S. and abroad.

Feb. 13, 2013
Conversations on Health Care: Dr. John Bartlett, The Carter Center Mental Health Project (Audio) (link no longer available) 
Broadcast on WESU-FM.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. John Bartlett, Senior Project Advisor for the Primary Care Initiative at the Carter Center. Dr. Bartlett discusses the Carter Center's efforts to better facilitate behavioral health and substance abuse treatment in the primary care setting.

Feb. 7, 2013
Center Focuses on Mental Health Recovery Through Peer Support (Text and Audio)
Published by WABE-FM.
Prior to 2010, the state of Georgia treated many with a developmental disability or mental illness in state psychiatric hospitals. However, a federal lawsuit alleged the state was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision by unlawfully segregating the mentally ill and those with developmental disabilities in the state's psychiatric hospitals.

Feb. 7, 2013
State Officials and Advocates: Mental Health System Improving, Still Needs Work (Text and Audio)
Published by WABE-FM.
In response to recent mass shootings like the one in Newtown Connecticut, federal and state governments are examining mental health system improvements.

Jan. 25, 2013
Rosalynn Carter: Taking Us Where We Ought To Be
Published by Behavioral Healthcare magazine.
In a field where it is commonplace to see the names of individuals followed by an alphabet soup of hard-earned educational and professional credentials, much is to be learned from those whose names have no such attachments. Often, these are people who have led other lives, pursued other careers, and whose interest in the field of behavioral health was found later in their life's journey - by coincidence, accident, or maybe providence.

Jan. 25, 2013
Rosalynn Carter: Stigma Has 'A Long Way To Go'
Published by Behavioral Healthcare magazine.
Some months ago, Lori Ashcraft, Ph.D., an editorial board member and longtime contributor of the popular "Tools for Transformation" column, suggested thatBehavioral Healthcare ought to interview Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President Jimmy Carter and one of the world's most prominent mental health advocates. The exclusive interview that follows, along with other stories about the 28th Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health in Atlanta last November, are proof of what a good idea and a little determination can accomplish.

Nov. 29, 2012
Town Hall Addresses Mental Health
Published by the Albany Herald.
The Carter Center, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), and other state agencies and partners recently invited the public to participate in a town hall meeting in Albany to discuss the Carter Center's recommendations for improving community behavioral health services for children, adolescents and adults in the state.

Nov. 7, 2012
Liberia's Landmark Commitment to Mental Health Inspires Carter Center Program
Published by Health Affairs GrantWatch Blog.
The Carter Center, in partnership with the Liberian government and foundations, including Focusing Philanthropy and the John P. Hussman Foundation, is helping post-conflict Liberia dramatically expand mental health services with the goal of reaching 70 percent of its population. 

Nov. 15, 2012
Exclusive: Former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Actress Glenn Close and Activist Jessie Close Speak Out About Mental Illness
Published by the Huffington Post.
As guests at the 28th annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy at The Carter Center in Atlanta on Nov.1, both Jessie and Glenn Close, along with former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter, sat down for an exclusive interview about how they're creating change and advancing social inclusion for the mentally ill.

Nov. 8, 2012
Carter Center: CDC report Shows Georgians' Attitudes about Mental Health Improving
Broadcast on WABE-FM.
Mental health advocates at the Carter Center say a new report shows attitudes about mental health appear to be getting better in the state. But they say there's still room for improvement. The report was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners.

Oct. 17, 2012
Healing Liberia's Unseen Scars (link no longer available) 
Broadcast on Deutsche Welle.
Dakemue Kollie is a mental health co-coordinator in Bong County, Liberia. It's his job to tackle the dark psychological legacy of Liberia's civil war.

Oct. 15, 2012
Edward Nahim: Sierra Leone's Only Psychiatrist
Published by Newsweek and by TheDailyBeast.com.
On a continent with high rates of infant and maternal mortality, and prevalence of infectious diseases, mental health is often overlooked. Most developing countries dedicate less than 2 percent of health budgets to mental-health care, according to WHO, and many have no specific money allocated for mental health at all.

Oct. 10, 2012
Liberia Slowly Coming to Terms With Civil War's Impact on Mental Health
Published by The Guardian (UK).
More than 250,000 people were killed during Liberia's 14 years of civil conflict and much of the country's infrastructure was completely destroyed, leaving a republic scarred by decades of violence and carnage.

Sept. 12, 2012
Step Inside My Head: Teens Speak Out on Mental Illness
Published by WABE-FM.
A critical step in the treatment of mental illness is being able to talk about it - to admit that you're suffering. Billy Howard is a 2011-2012 Rosalyn Carter Fellow in Mental Health Journalism who has created a project that gives a face and a voice to young people who have battled some form of mental illness. Listen as Billy talks with WABE's Steve Goss.

Aug. 28, 2012
Liberia's Mental Health Services: Building from the Ground Up
Published by ThinkAfricaPress.com.
By establishing centres in each county, training health workers and earmarking funds, post-war Liberia is trying to tackle its widespread mental health problems.

Aug. 24, 2012
Liberia Takes Steps to Increase Mental Health Care Access
Published by Voice of America.
The psychological impact of nearly 14 years of civil war contributed to a mental health crisis in Liberia.

Aug. 22, 2012
Rebuilding Liberia's Health System (PDF)
Published by the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
The process of rebuilding Liberia's health system, shattered by 14 years of devastating conflict, is entering a crucial and potentially destabilizing phase. The Liberian government and local NGOs are assuming a larger responsibility, but Liberia's health system is beset with serious problems. This report focuses on specific things the United States can do to sustain the momentum on public health in Liberia.

Aug. 22, 2012
Carter Center Praises Liberia's Expansion of Mental Health Care
Published by Emory News.
The Carter Center's Mental Health Liberia Program, in partnership with the Liberia Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, announces that efforts to build a sustainable mental health care system have reached an important milestone with 14 out of 15 counties in Liberia now having access to at least one locally trained and credentialed mental health clinician. Only three years prior, Liberia had one psychiatrist in the entire country.

Aug. 9, 2012
Integrating Mental Health With Primary Care
Published on YNN.com.
Mental and behavioral health issues are becoming an increasing concern for both patients and society as a whole. But the bigger problem is that many people aren't getting treatment, and those who do, aren't necessarily getting better. As our Katie Gibas reports, that's why mental and behavioral health experts say the system needs to change.

Aug. 1, 2012
Atlanta Magazine Groundbreakers Finalists: Rosalynn Carter (PDF)
Published by Atlanta Magazine.
When the 2007 AJC series met a resounding local silence, Georgians were fortunate that the world's most prominent mental health advocate lives right here. Once again, as she has done for more than forty years, Rosalynn Carter fought for people with mental illnesses.

Aug. 1, 2012
Video: Atlanta Magazine Names Rosalynn Carter as a 2012 Groundbreaker (link no longer available)
Published by Atlanta Magazine.
Atlanta Magazine names Rosalynn Carter as a Groundbreaker for protecting the rights of the mentally ill. The Groundbreakers represent works in progress: smart ideas that are under way but still have years - in at least one case, a couple of decades - to go before their potentials are fully realized.

June 4, 2012
Medicaid More Than Medical Aid (link no longer available) 
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
People like Francel Kendrick once spent most of their lives locked inside state hospitals. Today, because of Georgia's Medicaid program, Kendrick and thousands of disabled people like him can hold down a job and ride a city bus to their own homes after work.

May 31, 2012
No Margin No Mission: Sustainability in Behavioral Health - Primary Care Integration
Published by the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association.
Most posts on the CFHA Blog describe integration into primary care settings. Many of these services are provided through collaboration with the community behavioral health center. Or, in some communities the integration happens in reverse, by integrating primary care services into the existing community behavioral health center. This blog examines integrated care from the perspective of the community behavioral health center.

May 18, 2012
Carter Center Holds Mental Health Summit (link no longer available) 
Published nationally by the Associated Press.
The forum on Friday focused on the progress Georgia has made since the state reached an October 2010 settlement with the Justice Department over what critics saw as the unlawful segregation of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities in state-run hospitals.

Feb. 8, 2012
Capacity Building in Global Mental Health: Professional Training
Published by the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.
We suggest that the optimal approach to building capacity in global mental health care will require partnerships between professional resources in high-income countries and promising health-related institutions in low- and middle-income countries.

Jan. 9, 2012
Some Mentally Disabled Lose Services (link no longer available) 
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Evette King recently sat in her south Atlanta home fretting about how she could avoid eviction without someone to watch, feed and bathe her severely autistic son so she can work and pay the bills.

Dec. 16, 2011
Carter Center Pushes Mental Health Improvements (link no longer available) 
Published by the Associated Press.
The director of the mental health program at The Carter Center said Friday that Georgia can build on its progress on addressing the treatment needs of drug addicts and the mentally ill.

Dec. 15, 2011
Fixing Ailing System Achievable
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Author: Rosalynn Carter
I became involved in mental health issues in 1966, campaigning for my husband for governor. A newspaper exposé had revealed terrible conditions in our large mental hospital, Central State in Milledgeville, and families of the patients there were frustrated and almost beyond hope that anything could be done to help their loved ones. 

Dec. 16, 2011
Report: Improvements in Behavioral Health Care Needed for Children and Older Adults (link no longer available)
Published by WABE-FM.
A preliminary report released by the Carter Center says a mental health settlement reached last year between the state and the U.S. Department of Justice is a good start. However, the report says more is needed to improve behavioral health care in the state.

Dec. 13, 2011
Georgia Tech and the Carter Center's Innovative Collaboration for Mental Health in Liberia
Published by PsychCentral.com.
Africa is a place not known for its stellar healthcare, as many of the continent's nations struggle just to provide for the basic needs of food, water and shelter for their people. Mental illness continues to carry the heavy burden of prejudice and stigma.

Nov. 11, 2011
Advocates: State's Mental Health System Improving, But Gaps Exist (link no longer available) 
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Georgia has been rapidly rolling out community services for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled this year, but advocates say much work is left to do to help children with behavioral challenges and to foster better coordination of care among medical doctors and mental health specialists for all patients.

Nov. 1, 2011
Cartersville Town Hall Meeting to Discuss Georgia Mental Health Care Report (link no longer available)
Published by the Cartersville Daily Tribune News.
"The Cartersville town hall meeting on Nov. 3 is the first of three meetings The Carter Center, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and other stakeholders are holding across the state to foster local engagement in the transformation of Georgia's behavioral health system," said Dr. Thom Bornemann, director of Carter Center Mental Health Program.

Oct. 11, 2011
Report: Work Remains, But Georgia's Mental Health Overhaul Significant (link no longer available) 
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Georgia has made significant strides in moving the developmentally disabled and mentally ill out of state mental hospitals and into community settings -- despite notable gaps in care, a new report shows. No longer admitting the developmentally disabled into state institutions marks a "landmark accomplishment" for Georgia, according to the report by Elizabeth Jones, an independent reviewer appointed to track the progress of a five-year agreement between the state and U.S. Department of Justice.

Oct. 5, 2011
Treating the Psychological Scars of Liberia's Conflict
Published by PBS News Hour.
NewsHour reporter Molly Raskin covers on the Carter Center's work on mental health capacity building in Liberia.

Oct. 5, 2011
War-Torn Liberia Struggles to Care for Mentally Ill
Published by PBS News Hour.
After decades of civil war, Liberia struggles to provide mental health care for its citizens. In partnership with the Bureau for International Reporting, special correspondent Kira Kay reports.

Sept. 9, 2011
Liberia: Local Graduates 21 Mental Health Workers
Published by AllAfrica.
The Carter Center-Liberia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Warfare (MOHSW) has graduated the first batch 21 Metal Health workers in the country.

Aug. 17, 2011
Liberia Marks Milestone in Mental Illness Fight
Segment aired on National Public Radio's "Tell Me More."
In this African country, locals are still trying to heal from years of civil war, while the only psychiatric hospital has 36 beds and one practicing doctor. And yet, Liberia's first ever class of mental health clinicians graduated last week with help from the U.S.-based Carter Center. A Liberia mental health expert speaks with guest host Tony Cox.

Aug. 13, 2011
Carter Center Praises Liberian Graduates (Full text no longer available.)
Distributed by the Associated Press.
The Atlanta-based Carter Center is celebrating the graduation of Liberia's first class of locally trained mental health clinicians.

June 3, 2011
ACP and Carter Center Collaborate to Reinvigorate Primary Care
Published by The ACP Advocate.
To fully implement health care reform in the United States, primary care physicians need more training in team-building and treating mental illness in their practices, a new joint report from the Carter Center and the American College of Physicians suggests.

April 20, 2011
Meeting Mental Health Needs in Liberia
Published by InternalMedicineNews.com.
Most of the way through a doctorate in medical anthropology, Dr. Brandon Kohrt felt a void: "I was doing research on cross-cultural mental health, and I realized that just doing research – especially in areas where there are no services – wasn't enough."

March 8, 2011
Mental Illness Stigma: How Women Can Make a Big Impact Against It
Published by The Huffington Post.
With coffee in hand one morning in January, I opened an email and what tumbled out was a provocative and powerful piece that has stayed with me ever since. In the dark and uncertain days after the Tucson, Arizona, shootings, seasoned journalist Andrea Ball of the Austin-American Statesman gathered the courage to confront the inaccurate and sometimes sensationalized coverage of the tragic shootings. Demonstrating a great confidence in her readers she wrote, "Well, I have bipolar disorder, and I'm not coming to kill you. I promise."

Dec. 21, 2010
Perdue: Mental Health Pact a Big First Step
Published by the Georgia Health News.
Gov. Sonny Perdue said Tuesday that with its recent mental health agreement with the U.S. Justice Department, Georgia is "not crossing the finish line.'' Instead, "we are beginning a journey'' toward better services for people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse problems, he said.

Dec. 21, 2010
Perdue, Advocates Laud Mental Health Agreement
Distributed by the Associated Press.
The very advocates who had for years been among outgoing Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue's fiercest critics were celebrating his role in a groundbreaking mental health settlement - and at President Jimmy Carter's Atlanta office, no less.

Dec. 7, 2010
How Doctors Try to Spot Depression
Published in the Wall Street Journal. Online signup is required to read the full article.
A growing number of primary-care providers are using screening tools to assess depression and other mental-health conditions during routine-care visits. They are also coordinating care of depressed patients with behavioral-health specialists. Such so-called mental-health-integration programs have been shown to reduce emergency-room visits and psychiatric-hospital admissions, and to increase employees' productivity at work.

Dec. 3, 2010
More Insured Patients to Worsen Critical Physician Shortage
Published by Psychiatric News.
The health care reform law will greatly expand access to health care, but steps have not been taken to increase the number of physicians in the future. People with mental illness could have a particularly difficult time getting the care they need.

Nov. 8, 2010
Shattering Stigma
Published by Emory Magazine.
Underneath Emory's Briarcliff Campus, a system of concrete subterranean tunnels connects most of the seventeen buildings, forming an underground labyrinth worthy of an ancient castle in a dark fairy tale. Built in the mid-1960s as part of the foundation of Georgia Mental Health Institute-the site's previous incarnation-the network was meant to provide safe, efficient passage for patients from one part of the facility to another.

Oct. 29, 2010
Carter Center Event Highlights Veterans' Mental Health (link no longer available) 
Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Darryl Wilson remembers feeling a surge of panic in 2006 while driving to the Golden Corral with his wife for dinner. He realized he did not have a weapon with him. Wilson had recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq with the Georgia Army National Guard's 48th Brigade Combat Team, and the Jonesboro veteran had to stop, refocus and realize he was no longer in a combat zone.

Oct. 21, 2010
Mental Health Advocates React to Justice Department Decision (Full text no longer available.)
Published by WABE-FM.
All developmentally disabled and some mentally ill patients will soon move out of state psychiatric hospitals. Instead those patients will receive services in their own communities. That's as a result of a settlement reached this week between the state and the U.S. Justice Department.

Oct. 21, 2010
WXIA Video: Carter Center Reacts to Mental Health Settlement (link no longer available)
Carter Center Mental Health Program Director Dr. Thom Bornemann was interviewed live in studio on WXIA-TV's "Evening News at 7 with Brenda Wood" as part of coverage of the Georgia mental health crisis settlement. The story was designated the number one news story of the day and Brenda Wood discussed the crisis as part of her "Final Word" segment.

Oct. 19, 2010
Feds Settle With Ga. Over Confinement of Disabled
Distributed by the Associated Press.
The Justice Department reached a settlement Tuesday with the state of Georgia in a long-running case targeting what critics call the unlawful segregation of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities in state-run psychiatric hospitals.

May 14, 2010
The Long Reach and High Toll of Mental Health Problems
Published by Market Watch.
The weak economy and its accompanying tensions can test anyone's resilience. But for people who are prone to depression and related ills, it sometimes doesn't take much to upset a delicate balance. Two studies out this week reveal what are often the sobering effects of psychological problems on the people who suffer from them. Meanwhile, a new book from former First Lady Rosalynn Carter challenges the U.S. to improve how treats its emotionally troubled citizens.

May 27, 2010
Helping Our Vets Here at Home
Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Author: Thomas Bornemann 
On Memorial Day, families across Georgia recognize the bravery and sacrifices of men and women in the armed forces. Yet, as we remember the fallen, a disturbing trend has become apparent - more and more of our military heroes are losing their lives not in combat, but from the often hidden, emotional wounds of war. 

April 30, 2010
Media Coverage: "Within Our Reach: Ending The Mental Health Crisis"
Includes links to major coverage of the media and book signing tour by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

April 1, 2010
Pushing For Reform
Published by Georgia Trend magazine.
Georgia's public mental health system has consistently failed to protect those entrusted to its care. The Department of Justice is suing to take over, even as state officials ask for more time to fix what's broken.

July 17, 2009
Medical-home Model Aims to Put Patients First
Published by the www.marketwatch.com.
If you could reorganize your doctor's office to deliver more personalized and continuous care, how would you do it? In what's known as a medical home, patients and primary-care doctors form the foundation. But it's far from a bricks-and-mortar concept.

July 13, 2009
Mental Health Experts Convene at the Carter Center to Discuss Effective Ways to Reduce Stigma (Full text no longer available.)
Published by bhcjournal.com.
"Mental disorders are among the most prevalent of all health conditions. We have effective treatments available, but the vast majority of people who need treatments do not get them," says Dr. Thom Bornemann, Ed.D., Director of the Mental Health Program at the Carter Center in Atlanta, which was founded in 1982 by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn after they returned to Georgia. The program was originally patterned on resolving conflicts around the world, and it later expanded to vibrant health programs, including mental health.

Dec. 18, 2008
Watch Jerome Lawrence's interview on WXIA-TV (NBC-Atlanta), on the Carter Center's "Christmas Card of Hope," Dec. 18, 2008
Jerome Lawrence, who has struggled with mental illness, donated a painting to the Carter Center's annual Winter Weekend celebration, Feb. 7, 2009. His painting "Tulips are People Too" was chosen for the Center's official Christmas card.

Dec. 19, 2008
Privatizing Mental Health Hospitals: Don't Rush to Hand Off Care of Patients in Need
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Author: Thomas Bornemann
Georgia continues to experience the effects of a mental health system that is tragically broken. Georgia Department of Human Resources' (DHR) has responded with some new proposals, one of which is privatizing and downsizing state mental hospitals.

Dec. 9, 2008
Little Progress, Many Holes in Kids' Mental Health System
Published by CNN.
Author: Andrea M. Kane
As mental health advocates, policy makers, practitioners, educators and researchers gathered at the Carter Center to discuss the progress in addressing American children's mental health needs, a drama of sorts was reaching its conclusion halfway across the country.

Sept. 19, 2008
Mental Health Legislation We Need
Published in the Washington Post.
Authors: Rosalynn Carter & Betty Ford
The Sept. 8 news story "Kennedy Plans a January Return," regarding Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), mentioned an effort to pass legislation granting parity in insurance coverage for those suffering from mental illnesses.

July 10, 2008
A Leap in Mental Care for Children
Published by the Boston Globe.
Author: Rosalynn Carter
In the 31 years since I chaired the first presidential commission on mental health, medical science has made significant strides in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental illnesses. Living in recovery from a mental illness is now not only possible, but expected. Even children and adolescents diagnosed with mental disorders go on to lead healthy, productive lives.

July 18, 2007
Rosalynn Carter and Betty Ford Op-Ed: Pass the Wellstone Act; Mental-health Parity Needed
Published by the Washington Times.
Authors: Rosalynn Carter & Betty Ford
If you were diagnosed with a brain tumor, would you seek treatment or would you ignore it and hope it goes away? Would your answer differ according to whether your health insurance covered treatment? A diagnosis such as a brain tumor, or Parkinson's disease, is a serious matter. Just as serious are the diagnoses of mental illnesses and addictions. But depending on the location of the illness in your body, the decision to seek treatment may be harder to make.

May 22, 2006
Equal Time: Health Bill Plays Russian Roulette, Thom Bornemann Op-Ed
Published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Authors: Cynthia Wainscott & Thom Borneman
Forty million Americans do not have health coverage. Some analysts are quick to suggest that "basic health coverage" is the answer. That prescription, however, risks spreading a "virus" that now infects most commercial health coverage in this country and lurks in the fine print of most employer-provided health plans: singling out mental health care for rigid coverage limits.