Frequently
Asked
Questions
Why the name Mental Health United? Mental Health United was founded on the belief that mental health organizations should work together in unity. By supporting these organizations with areas like social media and public engagement, and listing them on our website, we create a hub for the public to easily find local mental health resources. Our goal is to foster unity within the mental health community to make it easier for people to access the help they need.
Do you work with the mentally ill first-hand? Mental Health United is an outreach organization that specializes in mental health education. While we work with organizations that work with individuals directly, we personally, do not.
What types of services do you provide? We work directly with in-house nonprofits that provide first-hand assistance to those suffering from mental illness. Our services such as social media optimization is designed to help those organizations operate and grow so they can better assist those in need as well as the community that they serve.
As a nonprofit organization, what are your sources of revenue? Our main sources of revenue are grants, sponsorships, donations from the public, fundraisers, and merchandise sales. We do not accept money from the organizations with which we work.
Where do the donations that you receive go? Any donations, grants, fundraiser revenue, merchandise sales, or sponsorship funding that we receive is used for our operating expenses such as website fees and maintenance costs, marketing fees (both online and physical literature), legal fees, tax filings, office supplies, event merchandise, a P.O. Box, and, someday, a facility with staff. We do not charge the organizations that we work with, therefore, we must use our funding to maintain our organization so we can provide the best possible services to the organizations with which we work.
Do you accept government grants? No, we do not. We do not accept money on behalf of taxpayer dollars. If an individual wants to give us their hard-earned money, they can do so voluntarily.
What year were you founded? We were founded in April 2014. We received our federal nonprofit status in April 2017.
Do you believe everyone with a mental illness should be medicated? No, we do not. Many individuals going through a difficult time just needs someone to talk to. One of our goals is to provide more resources to those individuals so they can have access to therapy near them.
Are you anti-psychiatry? No, we are not. Some people need medication, and that’s perfectly fine. We just don’t advocate for everyone needing medication as an absolute necessity for all that ails.
Would Mental Health United ever partner with a pharmaceutical company? We would never partner with or accept funding from a pharmaceutical company.
Do you participate in political activism? We do not partake in political activism. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For us to get involved with any political movements, we would have to have a 501(c)(4) status. While we believe in an individual’s right to free speech and political outlook of their choice, our focus is to help those in need.
If myself or a loved one is experiencing a psychiatric emergency, should I call the police? If you must call for emergency services, kindly request that a CIT (Crisis Intervention Trained) officer is dispatched to the scene. If you live in a state with a PERT (Psychiatric Emergency Response Team), ask for them as well. These first responders have significantly more training in dealing with the mentally ill than the average first responders. If neither of these services are available, explain the emergency to the dispatcher as well as a detailed description of the individual’s mental health so first responders know what to expect when they arrive at the scene.
How is Mental Health United different from other mental health organizations? We are an outreach organization that specializes in social networking and online marketing for other organizations, free of charge. Our primary focus is helping other organizations grow. We do this by partnering with these organizations and attending events with them, helping them with their operations, and by hosting our own events such as foot races, concerts, and just about anything we can get into to shine light on mental health to the public. We also aren’t afraid to speak out on the injustices in society regarding mental health. If there’s a story on which to report, there’s a good chance you’ll find us speaking about it on social media.
How do you generate revenue? Our main sources of revenue are grants, sponsorships, donations from the public, fundraisers, and merchandise sales. We do not accept money from the organizations we partner with. We believe that helping other organizations is payment enough, as it allows us to cite them as valuable resources as well as build our credibility in the public eye. Essentially, if they succeed, we succeed.