Health Programs

Rosalynn Carter's Leadership in Mental Health

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has been a driving force in the field of mental health throughout her almost 40 years of public service. She was a member of the Governor's Commission to Improve Services to the Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped when her husband was governor of Georgia. As active honorary chair of the President's Commission on Mental Health during President Carter's administration, she helped bring about passage of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980. For decades, she was a tireless proponent for mental health parity, and she played a key role in the passage of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Today, she continues her leadership through The Carter Center in Atlanta. Founded by President and Mrs. Carter in 1982, the Center is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people at home and in the developing world through programs in peace and health.

In 1985, she initiated the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, which brings together key policymakers and representatives of mental health organizations nationwide to focus and coordinate their efforts on current issues. Since then, annual symposia held at The Carter Center have investigated such topics as mental health system reform, mental illness and the elderly, child and adolescent mental health, family coping, and stigma and mental illness. Responding to the need for local collaboration, she instituted in 1996 an annual Georgia Mental Health Forum for stakeholders statewide.

The Carter Center Mental Health Task Force, chaired by Mrs. Carter and comprised of leaders in the mental health community, meets three times per year to identify policy initiatives and advise The Carter Center Mental Health Program on its activities. With the inception of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism in 1996, Mrs. Carter launched one of the most successful national programs in combating the stigma associated with mental illnesses.  The fellowships aim to enhance public understanding of mental health issues through balanced and accurate reporting. To date the program has awarded more than 100 journalists on four continents. Rosalynn Carter Fellows have produced more than 100 newspaper and magazine articles, five books, four television documentaries, and hundreds of minutes of radio and television time.

Mrs. Carter also chairs the International Committee of Women Leaders for Mental Health, a global coalition of first ladies, members of royalty, and heads of state. Formed as a catalyst through which the expertise and influence of these prominent women could be channeled, the committee's goals are to raise awareness about mental health issues, to identify and prioritize related needs in individual countries, and to implement appropriate actions. Under Mrs. Carter's leadership, this prestigious group communicates periodically to continue its work to improve mental health worldwide.

Through the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) at Georgia Southwestern State University, established in her honor at her alma mater, Mrs. Carter addresses the concerns of those who take care of people suffering from mental illnesses and other chronic illnesses, as well as long-term disabilities. Through research, education, and training, the RCI promotes the mental health and well-being of individuals, families, and professional caregivers; delineates effective caregiving practices; builds public awareness of caregiving needs; and advances public and social policies that enhance caring communities. Both professional and family caregivers benefit from RCI programs to improve coping skills and foster greater emotional and physical well-being. As a result of research conducted at the RCI, Mrs. Carter published "Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book for Caregivers," co-authored with Susan Golant, in 1994.

Following on the success of her caregiving book, Mrs. Carter wrote "Helping Someone with Mental Illness: A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers," co-authored with Susan Golant. Building on her experience in the field, Mrs. Carter discussed the latest treatments and research generated from her symposia and in consultation with the major mental health organizations in the United States. She also addressed how best to help those with illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, manic depression, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorders by being an effective, compassionate caregiver and advocate. "Helping Someone with Mental Illness" was selected as the winner of the 1999 American Society of Journalists and Authors Outstanding Book Award in the service category. 

Mrs. Carter's most recent book, "Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis"
(Rodale, April 2010)—co-authored with Susan Golant and Kathy Cade—offers a powerful perspective on how the field of mental health has changed since she began public life, but how far society still has to go to provide a system that works for everyone.

Mrs. Carter has received many honors and awards for her support of mental health causes including the Volunteer of the Decade Award from the National Mental Health Association; the Dorothea Dix Award from the Mental Illness Foundation;  the Nathan S. Kline Medal of Merit from the International Committee Against Mental Illness;  the Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health from the Institute of Medicine;  the United States Surgeon General's Medallion;  induction in the National Women's Hall of Fame; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor. She is an Honorary Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.