Welcome to the MindPeace project website. This site provides information on children’s mental health issues, including education, resources, support groups, and events in the Greater Cincinnati area.

MindPeace is a project of the Junior League of Cincinnati in collaboration with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Mindpeace is working with community members to significantly improve the mental wellness of children in the Greater Cincinnati Area.

Launched in September 2002, the mission of MindPeace is to:

• Heighten awareness of the need for mental health services for children.



• Work to eliminate the stigma of children’s mental illness.



• Facilitate the development of a mental wellness system for all children in the Cincinnati area.

IN THE NEWS: JUNIOR LEAGUES CREATING SUSTAINED IMPACT
About Junior League of Cincinnati
About Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

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The Junior League of Cincinnati's Commitment

To accomplish these goals, the JLC has committed $150,000 and more than 300 volunteers over five years to run the program.

Accomplishments:
Over the past 4 years, the MindPeace team has made significant strides in accomplishing each facet of our mission, all while receiving accolades from the Community, our Community Partners and the AJLI. Some of our recent successes include:

• Advocacy: Over the past few years, the MindPeace Advocacy Team has created opportunities for JLC members to connect with Ohio and U.S. representatives interested in mental health issues. In addition, for the past two years, the Advocacy team has hosted raining sessions to educate the community about advocacy techniques and guidelines for advocacy by non-profit organizations.



• Anti-Stigma Campaign: MindPeace team members worked for over 12 months with Libby Perszyk Kathman (LPK), one of Cincinnati’s largest advertising and design firms, to create the MindPeace anti-stigma campaign: "Put a new face on mental illness." This 6-month campaign, which was designed to reach 75% of the Cincinnati population, was launched in 2004-2005 featuring billboard and radio ads.



• Community Steering Committee: Over 30 local leaders representing agencies in the mental health field continue to meet regularly with MindPeace leaders to discuss children's mental health needs within the community. This committee has mapped existing services for mentally ill children in the area and is currently working on coordinating a seamless and accessible system of children's mental wellness. MindPeace has facilitated this effort and provided research as needed.



• Mural Project: With the generous support of a grant from The Federated Department Stores Foundation, MindPeace funded and organized a three-panel mural project utilizing the skills of local artist Peter Jaquish and the painting and creative ideas of children in three of Cincinnati’s residential treatment programs - Cincinnati Children’s College Hill Campus, St. Aloysius Orphanage and St. Joseph Orphanage. Pete worked with these children over a three month period to help them document their emotions and feelings on a canvas. The mural was a huge success and has toured around the city over the past year.



• Speaker Series: During the first three years of the MindPeace project, team members worked with Cincinnati Children’s to schedule monthly mental health discussions featuring highly regarded mental health professionals. Over the past year, this program has evolved into a quarterly educational series which focuses on educating the after school care professionals within the Cincinnati Public School system.



• Children’s Mental Health Symposium: MindPeace has been a co-sponsor of the Children’s Mental Health Symposium, held at Cincinnati Children’s over the past four years. MindPeace has also provided monies for families to attend the Symposium who could not have afforded to otherwise. At the 4th Annual Symposium, MindPeace leadership presented the keynote address, Community Collaboration in Children's Mental Health, at the symposium gala.



• Website: www.mindpeacecincinnati.org was launched in April 2004, as a comprehensive resource for parents, teachers, childcare providers or anyone needing information on children’s mental health program services. The site provides information on over 20 common disorders, including common symptoms, reading lists, additional resources and support groups.

Awards and Recognition
MindPeace received a $25,000 from the Federated Department Stores Foundation in 2005.

MindPeace and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center presented A Powerful Team for Children's Mental Health at the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions 2005 Spring Conference.

The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) awarded the first ever "JL" Award for Collaboration to the JLC for MindPeace in 2004.

Susan Shelton, past MindPeace Chair, was nominated in 2004 for the Community Friend of Mental Health Award presented by the Hamilton County Mental Health Board.

AJLI awarded the JLC a $10,000 Crest Whitestrips Community Smile Award for MindPeace in 2003.

Darlene Kamine, past MindPeace Sustainer Advisor, was awarded the Community Activist Award in 2003, by the Division of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.