Changing the Mindset Inc. empower individuals and communities to thrive in a world free from bullying through education, support, and advocacy, and ensuring equitable access to mental healthcare. Changing the Mindset Inc. (CTMS) was founded in 2018 as a non-profit organization in Tennessee that offered minimal to no-cost services to participants globally. After an organizational assessment to identify a second location to offer programming, “Mental Health America ranked Texas last in terms of mental health access. With the highest percentage of uninsured adults with any mental illness (21.5%), Texas is the worst state for mental health care. Texas has a population of 29.15 million people, and of the adults who reported having any mental health disorder in the past year, 40% reported having any mental illness in the past year, and 60% reported having a serious mental illness in the past year. Of the 970 cities identified in Texas, Austin ranked 9th of the worst cities in Texas with mental health care” (Data for both metrics comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2021). State population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau (2022).

 

CTMS decided to open a second location and offer in-person and virtual mental health, bullying and leadership services to young adults in the Greater Austin area. CTMS’s “Bullying Can’t Stop Me” Program is a comprehensive program model that provides resources, workshops, volunteer opportunities and wraparound/outreach services about mental health, bullying and leadership development to youth, parents and professionals that interact with youth daily. Since its launch CTMS has provided over 500 workshops, hosted over 50 community engagement events, mentored, and coached 110 youth and adults, and provided over 5500 people with resources to help them enhance their personal and professional life.