So what's the deal?
Howdy folks! I'm Ed Finkler. I've been a web developer for nearly 20 years. I'm a father, and I'm a husband. I am on a local school board. I founded an open source interest group in my city. I also have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Adult ADHD, and I've dealt with extended bouts of depression for the last 27 years.
Since 2013 I've been going to tech conferences and user groups, speaking openly about my struggles with mental health disorders, and how we can make our tech workplaces safer for those who deal with mental health issues. I call it Open Sourcing Mental Illness.
I do these talks because there are a lot of people like me. Twenty percent of Americans have a mental health issue in any given year. As measured by years lost to disease, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Even though it's so prevalent, most of us are scared to talk about it. Only 41% of people with a mental disorder get professional help. Help is available; but because we aren't talking about mental health openly, and we don't put the time in to educate ourselves about resources, people don't get what they need. So they stay sick and suffer unnecessarily.
In the workplace, those with mental disorders fear the consequences of speaking about their conditions with supervisors. They're scared of being misunderstood, feared, or labeled as lazy or difficult to work with. Right now, there are members of your team dealing with a mental disorder. They're probably afraid to talk about it, and they probably don't know how to get help.
Supervisors and leadership in organizations need help too. Often they want to help, but they don't know how to do so effectively, and they're scared of doing the wrong thing. They need actionable information to help their employees be healthy, happy, and productive.
We need to change the culture of our workplace. We need to speak openly about mental health. We need to learn what resources are available for ourselves and our coworkers, and we need to know how to help each other.
In 2013 I did a very successful fundraiser that allowed me to speak at conferences and user groups I otherwise could not have attended. After that, I was able to get generous corporate sponsorship to continue speaking through early 2015. But budgets and priorities change, and now I need your help again.
Contributing to the Open Sourcing Mental Illness campaign will make a real, genuine difference in the lives of people dealing with mental health issues in the tech industry.
So why do you need my money?
There are two primary goals for this campaign:
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Fund travel and lodging to speak at tech conferences and user groups. Many conferences do not provide financial support for speakers, and most user groups cannot afford to cover speakers' costs. Total costs for travel and lodging vary, but can be up to $2000 for a multi-day conference in the continental US.
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Create a "how-to" document for tech workplaces to become safer and more supportive of employees with mental health issues. This document will contain actionable information for decision makers in organizations. It will be created in conjunction with experts in mental health and organizational culture, who will be compensated for their time using the funds raised here.
What if you don't get fully funded?
What funds are raised will still be useful to offset travel costs for commitments I've already made to speak. It's also possible I will still be able to create the "how-to" document, although I'll be reliant on volunteered time.
What if you go over your goal?
Extra money means:
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More talks. I can travel more and reach more people, potentially beyond 2015 (I plan to keep doing this as long as people will listen).
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More and better materials. I'll be able to produce more documentation to guide the development of safer, supportive workplaces
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Swag giveaways. We'll be able to produce LOTS of stickers and just give them away.
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Sponsoring other speakers. With enough money, we can help other speakers on mental health issues get to conferences.
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Tool development. I have a few ideas for creation of tools (web-based or otherwise) that would help people find resources and get help. I already have created a simple web-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy worksheet tool, and expanding on this is a strong possibility.
What could go wrong?
The biggest potential risks to completion of this campaign's goals are life events. I have not had to cancel an OSMI talk in two years, but it's certainly possible. Air travel needs to be booked well in advance and is typically non-refundable, so it's possible money could be lost in change fees or total cancellations.
If I am unable to perform a particular talk, I will make every effort to schedule an event in the same area at a later date.
As for the organizational materials, the timing of getting professional consultations will be key. With some money available to compensate their time, it should make the process go a lot more smoothly.
I can't afford to give money. How else can I help?
Not everyone is in a position to contribute financially. It's just as important to help spread the word about this campaign. It is particularly important that decision makers in the workplace learn about OSMI, because they will be the ones who can most effectively change workplace culture.