DMAX Foundation Presents its Second Annual Event: “Facing Down the Stigma of Mental Illness at Work and in Life”
Bryn Mawr, PA (PRWEB) March 16, 2016 -- DMAX Foundation is hosting its second annual Spring event, “Facing Down the Stigma of Mental Illness at Work and in Life,” on Monday, April 25, 2016 at Bryn Mawr College’s Goodhart Hall featuring keynote speakers retired Major General Mark Graham and his wife Carol.
DMAX Foundation, a Philadelphia area non-profit organization, was founded in 2013 by Lee and Laurie Maxwell of Bryn Mawr, PA in memory of their son Daniel Maxwell, who took his life at age 18. Dan was a National Honor Society student and three-sport varsity athlete at Radnor High School when mental illness struck. The foundation is establishing DMAX Clubs on college campuses to create an environment for students to get together and talk about how they are doing, how their friends are doing and how they can help each other. DMAX Clubs are for all students because we all fall along the mental health continuum at different places, at different times in our lives.
The night begins at 5:45 p.m. with a VIP wine and cheese reception. Doors open for general admission to the event at 6:30 p.m.
Maj. Gen. Graham and his wife lost two sons in the Army within eight months of each other - one to a roadside bomb and the other to suicide. They will share their story of how the death of one was viewed as a hero while the other was met with a deadly silence; the fight against stigma; and the importance of mental health. "Our sons, Jeff and Kevin, died fighting different battles," Maj. Gen. Graham said.
Maj. Gen. and Mrs. Graham have dedicated themselves to helping people in the military and the civilian world to learn about and prevent suicide. A book about their experiences, The Invisible Front: Love and Loss in an Era of Endless War, was written by Yochi J. Dreazen in 2015.
The program will begin with a presentation by Diane Coutu, a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Yale and Oxford Universities. Despite having bipolar disorder, she has lived a successful life as an editor, ghostwriter, and journalist at Harvard Business Review, McKinsey & Company, The Wall Street Journal Europe, and TIME. Diane is the author of How Resilience Works.
In addition, an award will be presented to Joe Sifer, Executive Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton, a firm that provides management and technology consulting and engineering services to Fortune 500 corporations, governments, and not-for-profits across the globe. He has been instrumental in fostering Booz Allen’s commitment to making emotional health one of its highest health priorities.
DMAX Foundation will also recognize Dr. Husseini Manji, Global Therapeutic Area Head of Neuroscience for Janssen’s Research and Development Division. His work is a critical component to advancing mental health treatment and advocating for people with mental illness, and he has been a valued adviser to the foundation since its inception.
Following the keynote presentation, there will be a question and answer session with Diane Coutu and Maj. Gen. Graham. A book signing with Maj. Gen. Graham and his wife will follow this session.
For more information and tickets, go to http://www.dmaxfoundation.org/events/
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Shorter version:
DMAX Foundation is hosting its second annual Spring event, “Facing Down the Stigma of Mental Illness at Work and in Life,” on Monday, April 25, 2016 at Bryn Mawr College’s Goodhart Hall featuring keynote speakers retired Major General Mark Graham and his wife Carol.
Retired Maj. Gen. Graham and his wife lost two sons in the Army within eight months of each other - one to a roadside bomb and the other to suicide. They will share their story of how the death of one was viewed as a hero while the other was met with a deadly silence; the fight against stigma; and the importance of mental health.
A wine and cheese reception will be held at 5:45 p.m. Doors open for general admission to the event at 6:30 p.m. For more information and tickets, go to http://www.dmaxfoundation.org/events/
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About Retired Maj. Gen. Mark Graham:
Commissioned as a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in 1977 at Murray State University, Murray, Ky., Maj. Gen. Graham served in several key command and staff positions in the United States, Germany, and Korea. They included brigade command in California, where he was the first Active Duty Army colonel to command a National Guard brigade in peacetime; commander of the Battlefield Coordination Detachment, Osan, Korea; chief of staff and later deputy commander of the U.S. Field Artillery Center and Fort Sill, Okla.; executive officer to U.S. Forces Korea commander, deputy commanding general of Fifth Army, where he supported evacuation and relief operations following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and commander of First Army - Division West and Fort Carson, Colo. General Graham is now the Director of Vets4Warriors, a 24/7 confidential peer support call center.
About DMAX Foundation:
DMAX Foundation was founded in 2013 by Lee and Laurie Maxwell of Bryn Mawr, PA, in memory of their son Daniel Maxwell who took his life at the age of 18. Dan was a National Honor Society student and three-sport varsity athlete at Radnor High School when mental illness struck. The mission of the foundation is to eliminate stigma and encourage safe and caring conversations about mental and emotional issues in our youth. DMAX Foundation is establishing Conversations That Matter through DMAX Clubs on college campuses and through outreach and educational events in its local community.
CONTACT: Elena Perri, 610-324-4101
or Damien Enderle, 703-338-9900
Elena Perri, DMAX Foundation, http://www.dmaxfoundation.org, +1 610-324-4101, [email protected]
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