Singula and Rodham Institutes Change the Conversation on Mental Illness During Black History Month

Program in partnership with Boris L. Henson Foundation (BLHF), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - NYC and MD

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Feb. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Singula Institute kicks off its social impact program for 2023, together with important regional and national organizations, highlighting how today's mental health crisis requires more transparent conversation and an integrated approach to care. Co-hosted by Rodham Institute, in partnership with Boris L. Henson Foundation (BLHF), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) New York City and Maryland Chapters, the program centers around screening the multi-award winning short film Normalized and is free and open to the public to join in person, at the New York Times, or online.

Normalized, based on true events from the Normalized Podcast, depicts an enigmatic young protagonist who is challenged to maintain leadership and respect in his profession, family and community despite a history of significant social adversity and struggles with mental illness. In his striving towards "normal", he invites the audience to contemplate what that means for themselves.

"Normalized provides an authentic lens, based on my real life - as a leader in my industry, a black man, and a father living and struggling with Bipolar Disorder. We dramatize this reality to make it accessible while keeping it real" CJ Penny, executive producer & protagonist, Normalized

After screening the 23 minute film, a distinguished panel, including Dr. Marc Lener (CEO, Singula Institute), Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi (Founding Director, Rodham Institute), Jason Rosario (Global Chief DEI Officer and Director,  BBDO Worldwide), and CJ Penny (Executive Producer, Normalized), will broadly discuss biopsychosocial aspects of mental illness, zeroing in on health and social disparities, notions of masculinity, cultural taboo, and the effects of trauma.

"This event demonstrates the urgency of taking a comprehensive and integrated 'biopsychosocial' approach to mental health care, especially for communities that struggle with trauma, stigma and access to care," said Dr Marc Lener, CEO of Singula Institute.

Click here to register: Normalized: Conversations Beyond the Norm

Singula's Learning Mental Health System will use machine learning methods to develop more precise diagnosis and treatments for individuals suffering with anxiety and depression. Connecting clinical research directly to clinical care requires a thoughtful scientific plan and a diverse community of patients to ensure an inclusive and democratized culture of care.

"Changing the 'norm' is absolutely critical when even in the Nation's Capital, there are predominantly black areas with health disparities that rival some of the poorest countries in the world. We need to take a more holistic and compassionate approach to providing mental health care for people in these communities," said Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi, founding director of the Washington DC based Rodham Institute.

This hybrid (online + in person) event, structured as a film screening, fireside chat and networking reception, brings together mental health innovators, community health providers, national mental health advocacy organizations, social equity leaders, and members of the New York City and National community.

Register today to attend on February 23 at 6pm at the New York Times or virtually. Donations are welcome to offset the cost of making this programming accessible to the community. Participants must register in advance.

The Normalized film, based on the podcast by its same name, has been a crowd favorite, winning awards for Best Transformational Short (Silicon Beach Film Festival) Best Narrative Short (DC Independent Film Festival), Best Series Pilot (Dubai Scarab Film Festival), and is being developed into a TV series.

About:

Singula Institute
The Rodham Institute
Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation 
Normalized

SOURCE Singula Institute