Mission and History
Mission
As a team of Peer Specialists, we draw on our lived experience and specialized training to empower individuals, families, and groups through peer support, advocacy and the provision of services which promote mental health recovery, prevention of mental illness, and early intervention.
We advocate for the human and civil rights of people with mental health concerns on the community level through educational programs and community conversations about mental health issues, barriers to accessing support, and combating the social stigma around mental health issues.
History
The Tompkins County chapter of the Mental Health Association was established in 1954, to address mental health needs in the Ithaca community. Our organization is 1 of 25 affiliates of the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS) and 1 of the 143 national affiliates of Mental Health America (MHA).
The history of Mental Health America begins with Clifford W. Beers, who transformed his personal battle with mental illness into a national movement. In the early 1900s, after a mental health crisis following his brother's death, Beers was institutionalized for three years. During his time in hospitals, he endured and witnessed severe mistreatment of people with mental illness, including being restrained in a straightjacket for 21 days.
Determined to reform mental health care, Beers published his autobiography, A Mind That Found Itself in 1908, sparking national attention. In 1909, alongside philosopher William James and psychiatrist Adolf Meyer, Beers founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, which eventually became Mental Health America.
The Mental Health Bell: A Symbol of Hope
In the past, asylums used iron chains and shackles to restrain people with mental illnesses, reflecting widespread fear and misunderstanding. By the 1950s, as treatment methods improved, these cruel practices were abandoned. Mental Health America collected discarded restraints from asylums and, on April 13, 1956, melted them down at the McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore to create the 300-pound Mental Health Bell. Today, the Bell symbolizes hope and serves as a reminder that, while physical restraints are gone, people with mental illnesses still face the invisible chains of stigma and discrimination.
Visit Us
171 East State St. Suite 275
Ithaca, NY 14850
Business Hours
Monday: Office closed for Admin day
Tues-Friday: 9am-3pm
Closed on all federal holidays
Phone: (607) 273-9250
Email: info@mhaedu.org
Fax: (607) 272-5343