Who Cares?
Nevada City, CA, 2002
Who Cares?, a continuation of KVMR and FREED's 2000 Sound Partners project, set its sights on ending the stigma of mental illness in the Nevada City region by working with a new partner, Spirit, a county fostered organization of mental health peer counselors. KVMR provides media training to help the peers open a drop-in center in rural Nevada County, California. Through their efforts, the organizations hope not to end mental illness but to help change how people think and feel about it. KVMR and FREED encouraged their listeners to take an active part in that process.
The most important aspect of the project is the bi-weekly training in using the media to achieve the peers' three major goals--ending the stigma associated with mental health issues; out-reach to others in need of their services; and opening the drop-in center. Targeted brochures have been created and distributed; a logo has been developed; press releases written and used; call-in radio programs aired; and a town hall meeting broadcast live and video taken to be aired later. In addition, the town hall meeting was condensed into a half-hour presentation to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors on mental health needs, including a 10-minute video clip. This presentation was aimed at a favorable response from the Board when it considers mental health budgets later this year.
The project took advantage of the fact that there are people suffering from mental illness who themselves are leading the way to solving the problems of living with mental illness. They participated as equals with care providers, lawmakers and advocates in the development of the project.
Peer counselors—people with mental illness working on their own behalf—learned how to use the media to further their goals and communicate their message, “Stomp Out Stigma.” FREED, a local advocacy group for the disabled and a longtime partner of Who Cares?, provided initial media training and project direction. The local AARP has provided organizational support and direction.
Who Cares? is also the name of a weekly call-in radio program that is now videoed for replay twice a week on Community Access Television. Radio programming took a two-pronged approach: one, urge listeners to help stamp out the stigma associated with mental illness, and two, help the peer counselors achieve their goal of opening a drop-in self-help center. Whether or not the center opens is the litmus test of their success.
Contact Information
KVMR-FM
Joan Buffington, Project Coordinator and Dan Scanlan, Technical Director
Tel:530-478-1880, 530-477-7393
FREED
Ann Guerra, Executive Director
Tel:530-272-7813
Peer Counselors
Michael Fuchs, Board Chair
Tel:530-265-7210
Awards:
KVMR Round Three
2003 Social Consciousness Award to Joan Buffington
— KVMR Broadcaster's Award
Who Cares? program award
— National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Nevada County Chapter
$14,500 to establish Gates Place, a peer empowerment center
—Nevada County Department of Behavioral Health
$250 Community Service Award to Spirit Peer Counselors
— Briarpatch Community Co-op
KVMR Round Two
2001 Community Impact Award
— National Federation of Community Broadcasters
Additional Funding: Who Cares? received a $10,000 grant from the Women's Foundation of San Francisco towards establishing a Women's Desk, which will enable the project to continue, with a focus on women's health and aging issues. The station and project staff received special recognition by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors for its role in helping to secure $400,000 in additional funds in the California state budget earmarked for mental health in Nevada County.