I started a campaigning 2013 called Open Sourcing Mental Illness (OSMI) to change how the tech industry deals with mental health. Right now I’m talking to folks at tech companies to see if they would be willing to provide financial support during our annual fundraiser. Here's some reasons why this should matter to your org, and how supporting OSMI benefits you:
One in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental illness in any given year (National Alliance on Mental Health, 2013).
In the tech industry, 50% of individuals have sought treatment for mental illness, according to one study (Finkler, 2015).
Only 26% of those working in tech are aware of their company’s mental health resources and how to seek help (Finkler, 2015)
We use your financial support to fund the development of resources aimed at creating workplaces that promote mental wellness. This includes the OSMI Handbooks we released in May 2016, as well as upcoming video workshops (produced if we can reach $20k in our 2016 fundraiser). Employees in a culture of mental wellness are demonstrably happier, more productive, and more likely to stay with their employer.
Your employees will know their well-being is a priority to your organization -- the kind of organization people want to work for.
Potential employees will want to work for your organization if they know you take their health -- physical and mental -- seriously.
We will work directly with your organization to answer questions and offer advice as much as possible. Direct feedback on application of our resources is extremely useful to improving them, and knowing what problems need solutions in the modern tech workplace. We also have strong relationships with consultants who specialize in organizational psychology and wellness programs.
We can conduct employee surveys based on our Mental Health in Tech surveys to measure how well your employees are being served by current mental wellness policies, and where resources should be applied.
Please consider making a financial contribution to our 2016 fundraiser:
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Ed Finkler
Founder, Open Sourcing Mental Illness
info@osmihelp.org
National Alliance on Mental Health. (2013, March). Mental illness facts and numbers.
Finkler, E., (retrieved 2015, April). “OSMI Mental Health in Tech Survey”
World Health Organization. (2005). Mental health policies and programs in the workplace.