FOX 11 and the Entertainment Industries Council have teamed up, with support from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, to solve a problem.
That problem is how to get rid of the stigma and misunderstandings related to mental health issues.
The goals are simple:
Dozens of professional mental health care leaders from local hospitals, universities, and community outreach programs met at the FOX 11 News Studio in West Los Angeles on Friday, January 30, 2009 to discuss the best ways to use the power of the media to accomplish these goals. An archived video of this special event is featured to the right.
The question at hand: What can be done right now to help change the negative perception of mental health issues?
Below, you'll find resources for information about mental health issues, local help lines and Web sites, video stories, and more.
Click on the tabs below for important information about a number of mental health topics, as well as bios for the people who participated in the forum on January 30th.
Myth:
There's no hope for people with mental illnesses.
Fact:
There are more treatments, strategies, and community supports than ever before, and even more are on the horizon. People with mental illnesses lead active, productive lives.
Myth:
I can't do anything for someone with mental health needs.
Fact:
You can do a lot, starting with the way you act and how you speak. You can nurture an environment that builds on people's strengths and promotes good mental health.
Myth:
People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.
Fact:
In reality, the vast majority of people who have mental health needs are no more violent than anyone else. You probably know someone with a mental illness and don't even realize it.
Myth:
Mental illnesses cannot affect me.
Fact:
Mental illnesses are surprisingly common; they affect almost every family in America. Mental illnesses do not discriminate -- they can affect anyone.
Myth:
Mental illness is the same as mental retardation.
Fact:
The two are distinct disorders. A mental retardation diagnosis is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and difficulties with certain daily living skills. In contrast, people with mental illnesses -- health conditions that cause changes in a person's thinking, mood, and behavior -- have varied intellectual functioning, just like the general population.
Myth:
Mental illnesses are brought on by a weakness of character.
Fact:
Mental illnesses are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Research has shown genetic and biological factors are associated with schizophrenia, depression, and alcoholism. Social influences, such as loss of a loved one or a job, can also contribute to the development of various disorders.
Myth:
People with mental illnesses cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.
Fact:
In essence, all jobs are stressful to some extent. Productivity is maximized when there is a good match between the employee's needs and working conditions, whether or not the individual has mental health needs.
Myth:
People with mental health needs, even those who have received effective treatment and have recovered, tend to be second-rate workers on the job.
Fact:
Employers who have hired people with mental illnesses report good attendance and punctuality, as well as motivation, quality of work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees. Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) show that there are no differences in productivity when people with mental illnesses are compared to other employees.
Myth:
Once people develop mental illnesses, they will never recover.
Fact:
Studies show that most people with mental illnesses get better, and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. For some individuals, recovery is the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life. For others, recovery implies the reduction or complete remission of symptoms. Science has shown that having hope plays an integral role in an individual's recovery.
Myth:
Therapy and self-help are wastes of time. Why bother when you can just take one of those pills you hear about on TV?
Fact:
Treatment varies depending on the individual. A lot of people work with therapists, counselors, their peers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers in their recovery process. They also use self-help strategies and community supports. Often these methods are combined with some of the most advanced medications available.
Myth:
Children do not experience mental illnesses. Their actions are just products of bad parenting.
Fact:
A report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year 5-9 percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances. Just like adult mental illnesses, these are clinically diagnosable health conditions that are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, social, and sometimes even genetic factors.
Myth:
Children misbehave or fail in school just to get attention.
Fact:
Behavior problems can be symptoms of emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders, rather than merely attention-seeking devices. These children can succeed in school with appropriate understanding, attention, and mental health services.
Fact:
20 percent of the ailments for which Americans seek a doctor's care are related to anxiety disorders such as panic attacks, that interfere with their ability to live normal lives.
Fact:
Some 8 million to 14 million Americans suffer from depression each year. As many as one in five Americans will suffer at least one episode of major depression during their lifetimes.
Fact:
About 12 million children under 18 suffer from mental disorders such as autism, depression, and hyperactivity.
Fact:
Two million Americans suffer from schizophrenic disorders and 300,000 new cases occur each year.
Fact:
15.4 million American adults and 4.6 million adolescents experience serious alcohol-related problems, and another 12.5 million suffer from drug abuse or dependence.
Fact:
Nearly one-fourth of the elderly who are labeled as senile actually suffer some form of mental illness that can be effectively treated.
Fact:
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24.
Fact:
Studies by the U.S. Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration indicate men are more likely to suffer from drug and alcohol abuse and personality disorders, while women are at higher risk of suffering from depression and anxiety disorders.
Source: University of Maryland Medical Center
At Risk Youth
Picture This: At Risk Youth is a guide to the key issues within the realm of at risk children and youth as identified by experts, advocates, policy-makers and others working to improve public awareness about factors that put young people at risk.
Bipolar Disorder
Picture This: Bipolar Disorder is a guide to the key issues within the realm of Bipolar Disorder affecting different populations today, as identified by mental health experts, advocates, policy-makers and others working to improve public awareness about and reduce stigma surrounding Bipolar Disorder and other mental Illnesses.
Spotlight On... Bipolar Disorder is a news brief of the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. for providing accurate information about mental health and Bipolar Disorder to the creative community along with onscreen depiction suggestions.
Depression and Suicide Prevention
Picture This: Depression and Suicide Prevention is a guide to the key issues within the realm of depression and suicide prevention as identified by mental health experts, advocates, policy-makers and others working to improve public awareness about and reduce instances of depression and suicide.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Picture This: Depression and Suicide Prevention is a guide to the key issues within the realm of PTSD as identified by mental health experts, advocates, policy-makers and others working to improve public awareness about and reduce the negative effects of PTSD.
Think Tank: Mental Healthcare Media Blueprint
The Mental Healthcare Media Blueprint Think Tank convened experts from the medical, communication and entertainment industry fields to collaboratively discuss, brainstorm and develop a new direction for mental health concerns in America.
The Think Tank provided an opportunity to discuss the most significant obstacles, issues and new developments in the mental health field. Bringing together different perspectives created a synergistic occasion for raising greater awareness, and generating new perceptions of mental health within society.
Topics discussed included bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, and other mental health-related concerns.
You can review the findings here in this document.
Addressing Mental Health in Our Communities
The following publications speak to issues of detection, family decision-making, medical/treatment adherence, breaking bad news, and message framing in mental health contexts. These resources were provided by Lisa Sparks, Ph.D., Presidential Research Fellow in Health and Risk Communication Professor and Director, M.S. in Health Communication Chapman University.
It is essential to use healthy terminology when writing about mental health. For example, using the word "usual" rather than "normal," can have a dramatically different affect on your audience. Using the proper terminology can eliminate stigma in society!
Also, keep in mind that a person suffering from a mental illness is not defined by the illness. Oftentimes people are referred to as the illness and not as a person that is struggling with the illness.
Derogatory Labels
Avoid, where possible, any slang term referring to mental illness, including crazy, lunatic, nuts, deranged, deficient, wacko, loony tune, psycho, mad, freak, weirdo, schizo, manic, handicapped, special, slow, low-functioning, retarded, disturbed, weird, strange, insane, loco, abnormal, normal, and other words with negative connotations or inherent judgments. Also, avoid phrases such as "off his meds" when used in a judgmental or derogatory context.
Inaccurate Diagnoses
When referring to a person who is affected by a mental health related illness whether being "Manic"/ "manic depressive" / "bipolar" or "Schizophrenic" or another mental health related illnesses remember that the person has a disorder-- the disorder is not a label for who the person is.
Referring to a person as a "schizophrenic" or "bipolar" is always inappropriate (a person has schizophrenia or other mental illnesses; he or she is not "schizophrenic," "bipolar," etc.), and the term is often misapplied to characteristics that are not symptoms of schizophrenia.
For example, "multiple personalities" and "schizophrenia" are not the same thing, but often are used interchangeably.
Additional terminology resources can can be found here and also, here.
100 Black Men of Los Angeles, Inc A Thousand Joys African American Health Consortium American Psychiatric Nurses Association (CA Chapter) Associated Hispanic Physicians of Southern California, Inc. Bay Area Consortium for Quality Health Care Black Health Leadership Council Of Los Angeles, Inc. California Black Womens Health Project California Latino Medical Association California Pan-Ethnic Health Network California Promotora Network California Veterans Board City of Norwalk, CA City of Pomona, CA Community Health Councils, Inc. Council of Black Nurses - Los Angeles |
L.A. County Department of Mental Health Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Department of Public Safety (Norwalk) Division of Juvenile Justice Facing Bipolar Family Success by Design, Inc. Helpline Youth Counseling L.A. Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Latino Behavioral Health Institute Latino Health Access Los Angeles County Office of Education Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center Los Angeles Hispanic Health Network Los Angeles Urban League Mental Health Association (Los Angeles County) |
NAMI - California NAMI (Asian Pacific Los Angeles) NAMI (Los Angeles South Central) NAMI (Urban Los Angeles) NAMI (Westside Los Angeles) NAMI (Whittier) National Coalition of 100 Black Women (LA Chapter) Nogales Psychological Counseling Inc. Pacific Clinics Phoenix House Rio Hondo Temporary Home SFS Lions Club (Veteran) Southern Youth Correctional Reception Center and Clinic Tri-City Mental Health Center Vet-to-Vet Program |
Bill Handel
William Wolf Handel was born in Brazil in 1951. At the age of five, he immigrated to the United States with his parents. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, learned English without the benefit of a bilingual education program and became one of the world's leading reproductive law experts.
In 1989, Handel began doing a Saturday morning legal advice show on KFI AM 640, "Handel on the Law." The show is a unique combination of "marginal legal advice" and outrageous Handel remarks. He gets joy out of repeating "you have absolutely no case." It didn't take long for KFI to realize that this politically incorrect, self-proclaimed "Latino Jew" had the tell-it-like-it-is attitude listeners were looking for and gave Handel the coveted weekday morning show time slot. He was soon host of the
top-rated morning show in the market and "Handel on the Law" was syndicated nationally. Whether you're talking about Big Brother, Big Business or Big Macs, you'll rarely find Handel without an opinion. His rapid-fire commentary gives listeners the information they want the way they want it. He's an energetic and highly entertaining, yet intelligent, alternative to pseudo-intellectual, boring talk radio. For thousands of talk radio listeners, waking up just wouldn't be the same without Bill Handel.
Bill Handel is the best at what he does. He explains complicated issues in a plainspoken way so listeners don't just hear the story, they see the story. Handel says what needs to be said, he's not afraid to milk sacred cows and give you "everything you need to know before you get to work." In 2005, he was named Major Market Personality of the Year at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards and News/Talk Personality of the Year by Radio & Records.
Last July, Handel celebrated the morning show's 15th anniversary.
In 2009, Handel will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Gerri Shaftel
Gerri Shaftel is Medical Producer at Fox 11 News in Los Angeles, focusing on in-depth medical features. Prior to joining KTTV she was Medical Producer at KCOP. Her stories have garnered 5 Los Angeles area Emmy Awards and 19 nominations. as well as awards from the American Medical Association, American Heart Association and Los Angeles Press Club.
Gerri is a 2005 alumni of the California Endowment/USC Annenberg Health Journalism Fellowship, and a 2008 alum of the RIAS-Berlin Kommission German-American Journalist Exchange Program.
She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ).
Susan Abram
Susan Abram has worked at the Daily News since 2002. She covered the cities of Burbank and Santa Clarita before moving on to cover the LAPD and higher education.
Abram became interested in health issues as a reporter for The Stamford Advocate, in Connecticut, just as West Nile Virus broke.
Since then, she has written stories about mental health and jails, AIDS/HIV, diabetes, asthma and obesity, PCB's in the Long Island Sound, and the nursing shortages among other stories.
Carlos Amezcua
Carlos Amezcua is co-anchor of the top-rated KTTV FOX 11 10 p.m. newscast. He also co-anchors FOX News at 11 p.m. on Channel 13.
Amezcua joined FOX 11 in September 2007.
With a broadcasting career spanning over thirty years, Amezcua was most recently the anchor of "KTLA Morning News" in Los Angeles. Prior to this, he was a network correspondent for CBS News and also reported for "NBC Nightly News," CNN and HBO's "America Undercover."
In addition, he was an anchor/reporter in such major markets as New York, San Diego and Denver.
The recipient of numerous awards, Amezcua holds seven Emmys for his coverage of the Northridge earthquake, Malibu fires, "Outstanding Journalistic Enterprise" covering Mexican Politics and "Best Daytime Newscast." He has also been honored with the Eagle Award for his outstanding service to the community in journalism.
A native of southern California, Amezcua serves on various charity boards and professional organizations and volunteers at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles.
Dr. Aliza Lifshitz
Aliza A. Lifshitz, M.D. was born in Mexico City and graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico's Medical School. She then moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to specialize in internal medicine and clinical pharmacology at Tulane University and the Ochsner Medical Foundation. She did further post-graduate work in endocrinology at the University of California, San Diego. She is currently in private practice at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Dr. Lifshitz, has been the Univisión TV Network's health expert since 1988, appearing regularly on such programs as TV Mujer, Hola América, Al Mediodía, and Noticias y Más. She is currently the medical correspondent on Primer Impacto, Spanish-language television's highest-rated news magazine. She has also reported locally for KMEX-TV in Los Angeles. In addition, she has written, produced, and hosted prime-time television specials on different health topics and guest-hosted the public affairs program
Los Angeles al Día. She is the public face of Univision's Peabody Award winning consumer health initiative, Salud es Vida: Entérate.
Dr. Lifshitz currently hosts El Consultorio de la Dra. Aliza, a national Spanish-language program on Univision Radio. Previously, she was the health reporter for a live morning drive-time program on Radio Unica. She also hosts a health website on Univision.com, the leading Spanish-language portal in the U.S. (Keyword: Doctora Aliza).
Philip Bruce
Philip Bruce is Deputy General Manager of National Public Radio's western broadcast headquarters, better known as NPR West, located in Culver City, California. He's also Supervising Deputy Senior National Editor for California and the western United States.
Bruce oversees a staff of correspondents, producers and regional bureau chiefs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Tucson. Prior to joining National Public Radio in 2004, Bruce spent more than 25 years as a correspondent and bureau chief for network television affiliates in Dallas, Houston, Washington, DC and Los Angeles.
Bruce got involved with public broadcasting in Los Angeles, first as a news correspondent and later as news director at KCET, the West Coast flagship PBS television station. There, he was in charge of the station's Emmy Award winning evening news magazine, which is one of the longest-running news and public affairs broadcasts on public television.
Bruce is a native of northwest Arkansas and is a journalism honors graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Class of 1980. He is married to a television news producer and lives outside Los Angeles.
Dr. Paul Barkopoulos
Dr. Paul Barkopoulos has been involved in the private practice of general psychiatry in Los Angeles since 1985. He completed his residency at the UCLA Sepulveda V.A. Program. In addition, he received his Masters degree in Public Health from UCLA, his medical degree from UCLA, and his bachelors degree from UCLA in psychobiology, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He is board certified in psychiatry, and sub boarded in geriatric psychiatry.
Dr. Barkopoulos also holds the title of Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA, and is on the attending medical staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA.
Special areas of interest for Dr. Barkopoulos include treating mood and anxiety disorders. As well, he engages in extensive teaching and lecturing of physicians, health care providers, industry, and the general public in order to increase knowledge and awareness within the community regarding mental health issues.
Lisa Sparks Ph.D
Presidential Research Fellow in Health and Risk Communication,
Professor and Director, M.S. in Health Communication, Chapman University
Lisa Sparks (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1998) is Professor of Communication Studies at Chapman University, Orange, CA. Before joining Chapman University in 2006, Dr. Sparks served on the faculty at George Mason University as Director of Graduate Programs and Basic Courses and as affiliated faculty with the National Center for Biodefense and the Center for Social Science Research, both at GMU. She is a highly regarded teacher-scholar whose published work spans more than 100 research articles
and scholarly book chapters, and has authored and edited nine books in the areas of communication, health, and aging. Dr. Sparks' research and teaching interests include communication with, by, and about older adults, and how such communication relates to healthy and successful aging outcomes via theoretical frameworks such as lifespan development, social identity, communication accommodation, and intergroup behavior. Her research on intergroup (intergenerational, intercultural) communication and aging
merges with research in health, risk, and crisis communication domains including provider-patient and family relationships and decision-making, health organizations, communicating about terrorism, and communicating relevant messages when information is uncertain during periods of health risk. She is currently Editor of Communication Research Reports and serves on several editorial boards including Journal of Applied Communication Research and Communication Quarterly.
Dr. Sparks' recent books include Handbook of Communication and Cancer Care (2007), and Cancer Communication and Aging (forthcoming), both co-authored with H. D. O'Hair and G. L. Kreps, Issues in Health Communication (forthcoming) co-authored with K. B. Wright and H. D. O' Hair, and Communication Research Style Manual: A Short and Savvy Approach to Conducting Research (2005). Her publications have appeared in Health Communication, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Journal of Health Communication,
Health and Social Work, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, Communication Research Reports, Intercultural Communication Studies, Case Studies in Health Communication, Caregiving Across the Professions, Handbook of Communication and Aging, Community Preparedness and Response to Terrorism: Communication and the Media, Global Public Health Communication, and Applications in Health Communication.
Dr. Sparks has served as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on a number of health communication and technology across the curriculum based research grants including her service as PI for a $40,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) grant Hablamos Juntos: Improving Patient-Provider Communication for Latinos, which consists of the development of affordable models to help English-speaking providers communicate more effectively with their Spanish-speaking patients. In addition, Dr. Sparks has served
as a Cancer Communication Research Fellow for the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and serves as an External Scientific Reviewer for NIH.
Congresswoman Grace Napolitano
Congresswoman Napolitano was born and raised in the border community of Brownsville, Texas, Graciela Flores Napolitano moved to California with her husband after high school. A working mother of five, Napolitano made her way up through the ranks of Ford Motor Company. After retirement, she focused full-time on civic pursuits in her adopted hometown of Norwalk where she has resided for more than 47 years.
Napolitano began her political career as a member of the Norwalk City Council, winning her first election in 1986 by a mere 28 votes. Four years later she won re-election by the highest margin of votes recorded in city history and was selected city mayor by her peers.
Following her 1992 election to the California Assembly, Napolitano emerged as a recognized leader on international trade, environmental protection, transportation and immigration. She quickly earned a reputation as a hard worker and champion for small business, women, economic expansion and job creation.
First elected to Congress in 1998, Grace Flores Napolitano is currently serving her fifth term. Her Los Angeles County-based district covers several cities and communities in the San Gabriel Valley and Southeast Los Angeles County areas.
The Congresswoman has been a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources since the 106th Congress and was appointed as the most senior new member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure at the start of the 110th Congress. She now presides as Chair of the Natural Resources subcommittee on Water and Power, yielding her a strong voice on water conservation, water recycling, desalination, and sound groundwater management and storage, helping to address Southern California's need for adequate water quality and supply. As a memberof the Transportation & Infrastructure committee, she sits on the subcommittees of Highways and Transit, Railroads, Pipelines & Hazardous Materials, and Water Resources and Environment.
Napolitano joins Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA) as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Mental Health Caucus, where she has taken a leading role in suicide prevention among Latina adolescents after learning that nearly one out of three has seriously contemplated suicide -- the highest rate for any ethnic or racial group in the country. She also previously served as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during the 109th Congress, which continues to address national education, immigration, health, and civil rights issues, and the impact these policies have on the Hispanic community.
Congresswoman Diane Watson
Congresswoman Diane E. Watson, born in Los Angeles, is a lifetime resident of California's 33rd Congressional District, which includes Culver City, portions of the City of Los Angeles, and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.
Representative Watson attended Birdie Lee Bright Elementary School (formerly 36th Street School), Foshay Junior High School, and Dorsey High School. After graduating from High School, Congresswoman Watson attended Los Angeles City College and matriculated at UCLA, where she received a B.A. in Education. She also holds a M.A. in School Psychology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the Claremont Graduate School.
Her lifetime commitment to education stems from her involvement in the Los Angeles public schools where she worked as an elementary school teacher and school psychologist. She has lectured at both California State Universities at Los Angeles and Long Beach.
In 1975, Congresswoman Watson became the first African-American woman to be elected to the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. Her legacy there includes efforts to expand school integration and toughen academic standards.
The year 1978 marked her election to the California State Senate where she was chosen to chair, from 1981 to 1998, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. She also served on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
During her tenure in the California State Senate, Congresswoman Watson became a statewide and national advocate for health care, consumer protection, women, and children. In 1993, she authored the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program Act, which led to pioneering research into the causes of birth defects, and the Residential Care Facilities Act, to ensure that senior citizens receive quality care in nursing and assisted living homes. In 1997, she introduced legislation to toughen food health safety requirements for restaurants. She also played a key role in the enactment of legislation to promote breast cancer research.
Congresswoman Watson has been an advocate for commonsense welfare reform in the State of California. She played a major role in formulating the State of California's TANF program, which provides education, child care, and employment to welfare recipients. She sought funding to help teen mothers complete their education and gain jobs through the Cal-Learn program.
In 1999, President William Jefferson Clinton appointed Congresswoman Watson to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. Watson served in this capacity until 2001 when she returned to California to run for Congress in a special election held on June 5, 2001, after the death of Congressman Julian Dixon. She was reelected on November 5, 2002 to a full two year term and has served in each succeeding Congress.
Congresswoman Watson is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and serves on the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health and the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Environment. She is also a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and its Subcommittee on Domestic Policy.
Congresswoman Watson is Chair of the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus and co-chairs the Congressional Korea Caucus and the U.S.-UK Caucus. She is also a Democratic Regional Whip for Southern California.
Brian Dyak
President and CEO, Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC)
Brian Dyak has pioneered building a bridge between the entertainment industry and health and social issues since 1983. Brian has led social marketing and health communication activities to foster development of television and motion picture "depiction suggestions" on seat belt use; women and alcohol; the hearing impaired; the elderly; mental health; drug abuse and addiction; HIV/AIDS; skin cancer; diabetes, organ donation and transplantation; gun violence and injury prevention; terrorism
and homeland security and other timely issues. He is publisher of Spotlight on Depiction of Health and Social Issues, a resource encyclopedia provided to the entertainment industry's creative community. His most recent entertainment industry resource publications (2008) address Depression and Suicide, Bipolar Disorder, and Substance Abuse: Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Brian also developed First Draft, a technical referral service that provides entertainment creators accurate information on numerous
health and social issues provided by scientific and technical experts. He most recently has created the Entertainment and Media Communication Institute, the new research and Think Tank division of the EIC merging multidisciplinary fields to discover new ways of presenting timely information to audiences and public policy makers.
Brian is an award winning executive producer, writer and producer of the PRISM Awards, the entertainment industry's annual recognition of television shows, feature films and music, which accurately portray substance abuse addiction, treatment, and recovery and mental health topics. Now in its 13th year, the PRISM Awards airs on FX Networks and is the only health related television special that has aired for nine consecutive years in the history of television. He has also been at the helm of creating
over 1400 public service announcements for television and radio.
Additionally, he created the landmark national media campaigns "Stop the Madness," a drug awareness campaign and partnership with CBS, "Facts For Life," a national television network campaign about HIV/AIDS, and "Buckle Up," an international cause-oriented marketing and merchandising campaign featuring "The Incredible Crash Dummies." Brian has served as a consultant to numerous federal agencies and presidential administrations, and testified before Congress on health
communication topics. He has appeared on numerous national news programs as spokesperson for the role the entertainment industry plays as a constructive resource to bring accurate information to viewing audiences through the "creative art of making a difference."
Kevin Hale
Vice President and General Manager, KTTV FOX 11 and KCOP My13
Kevin Hale is Vice President and General Manager of FOX's owned-and-operated stations in Los Angeles, KTTV FOX 11 and KCOP MyNetworkTV Channel 13. Hale joined KTTV/KCOP in April 2004 after six years as Vice President and General Manager of KSAZ and KUTP, the FOX owned-and-operated duopoly in Phoenix, Arizona.
Under his leadership, KTTV FOX 11 has increased its commitment to local news, adding additional newscasts and more locally produced programming. Hale also led the development of the MyFoxLA.com website, which reaches millions of users and continues to expand each month. He was involved with the launch of MyNetworkTV where KCOP serves as the affiliate in Los Angeles, the nation's 2nd largest television market.
Prior to Fox, Hale served for 15 years in several positions at Gaylord Entertainment Company. While at Gaylord, Hale was the VP/General Manager of KSTW Seattle from 1986 to 1993. From 1993 to 1996 he was the VP/General Manager of TNN (The Nashville Network) in Nashville, Tennessee. He returned to KSTW in March 1996 to coordinate the station's transition from operating as an independent station to a CBS affiliate.
Hale earned a bachelors degree in Liberal Arts from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.
A Los Angeles native, Hale was born and raised in North Hollywood.
Marie Gallo Dyak
Executive Vice President, Program Services and Government Relations and Co-Executive Producer, PRISM Awards
Marie is responsible for concept development and implementation of special projects primarily involving the entertainment industry and the substance abuse prevention and mental health fields. This includes public service initiatives, special events, and development of in-kind support for substance abuse prevention, information dissemination, and entertainment-based human resource issues.
Marie manages EIC's substance abuse/addiction and mental health/mental illness programs, which include, but are not limited to, those highlighted below. She is an Emmy Award-winning producer.
She has served on the National Network for Youth's Board of Directors, drawing from years of managing runaway shelters in Florida. She is a jurist for the Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards for excellence in print and broadcast journalism reporting on drug and alcohol issues, and an Executive Member of Women in Film and Video of Washington, D.C. Marie holds a B.S. in Sociology from St. Louis University. She has been with EIC since 1983.