When the Mask Comes Off

When the Mask Comes Off, is a 17-minute video and guide for community discussions about young people and mental health. The video features six young people from New Mexico talking about their experience living with mental illness. Through their voices, we hear honest stories about the struggle to understand, embrace who they are, and the journey toward solutions. The discussion guide provides questions to help people talk about the issue of youth mental illness, and to begin finding ways to ensure every young person finds support for mental health.

About the national dialogue on mental health
On Jan. 16, 2013, President Barack Obama called for a national conversation on mental health to reduce the shame and secrecy associated with mental illness, encourage people to seek help if they are struggling with mental health problems, and encourage individuals whose friends or family are struggling to connect them to help. In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services worked with national partners to develop Creating Community Solutions, an initiative designed to get people and communities talking about mental health. Creating Community Solutions is helping communities organize dialogues and has created resources to help event organizers and participants talk about mental health and take action in their communities. Learn more at www.creatingcommunitysolutions.org. Everyday Democracy commissioned Generation Justice to produce When the Mask Comes Off as a resource to complement community dialogue about mental health.