The committee’s first major project was the development of a guide, Campus Mental Health: Know Your Rights.

The Leadership21 Committee is an effort by the Bazelon Center to identify and engage the next generation of citizen-leaders to continue this important work to promote civil rights and human dignity for people with mental health disorders.

The Center has developed a core committee of 12-15 innovative and dynamic emerging leaders in the fields of mental health, public policy and legal advocacy to support and inform its work.

Purpose of the Committee

The Leadership21 Committee:

• Assists the Center in outreach efforts to young Americans concerned with mental health and civil rights issues;
• Identifies new trends in the area of mental health;
• Designs and develops innovative approaches to addressing community mental health needs and services for others with mental health disorders;
• Helps to inform the Center’s public policy and legal advocacy strategies; and
• Provides a networking venue for leading mental health, health policy, disability and civil rights advocates.

Membership Criteria

Members of the Committee must pledge a strong commitment to the Bazelon Center’s mission, and meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Have displayed innovation, activism or leadership in mental health, health policy or civil rights advocacy; or
• Demonstrate the capacity to advance the Bazelon Center’s mission through other appropriate skills.

Projects

The committee’s first major project was development of a guide for students who want to seek help for mental illnesses and emotional distress, Campus Mental Health: Know Your Rights.