Title: GW SPR Master's Thesis/Capstone - Communication Plan for IAVA
1Removing the Stigmas of Mental Health Campaign
for
Submitted by Amelia Folkes Kaly Godfrey Bill
Madway Gina Marie Santore Maureen F.
VanDeHoef February 17, 2013
GET HELP. START HERE. IAVA.
2Organization
- Largest Organization for Iraq Afghanistan
Veterans - Mission
- To improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans and their families - Accomplishments
- Passage of the Caregivers Act
- Advocate of Veterans Crisis Line
- Connected 20,000 veterans with
mental health support
3Issue Analysis
- Veterans Avoiding Mental Health Treatment
- CRISIS A veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan commits
suicide once every day - Stigmas of mental illness prevent veterans from
seeking treatment - My career in the military will be damaged
- Im STRONG I dont need help
- How can THEY know
- what WAR was like?
- the HELL Im going through?
4Situation Overview
- IAVA Wants To Be First Place Veterans
- Turn to for Help
- Positive Factors
- Cultivated large base of allies and partners
- Military urgency for veteran mental health issues
- Challenges IAVA Faces
- Limited funding
- Dwindling federal resources
- Publics misconceptions
5Campaign Goals
- Primary Target Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
Families
6Campaign Objectives
- Mental Health Campaign Milestones
7Campaign Strategy
- Removing the Stigmas of Mental Health
- Clarify
- Myths, misconceptions, and stigmas veterans
associate with mental illness, and build
Awareness - Amplify
- Messages using peers, experts, and other credible
sources to increase Acceptance - Magnify
- Effect of messages by partnering with
organizations to drive Action
8Key Messages
- Using Facts Emotion to Change Minds
- and Behavior
- Overarching Theme
- Wounds of battle are sometimes not visible to the
naked eye - The first step to overcome your wounds is to
understand the signs of mental illness - Have courage and ask for help
- IAVA is your first step
GET HELP. START HERE. IAVA.
9Tactics
- Local Outreach Peer-to-Peer Action
- Build Awareness - Engagement and Education
- Veterans Day kick-off events in target cities
- Mental health awareness nights, town hall events
- Be visible at military graduations
- Breakdown Barriers to Acceptance - Media
Outreach - Pitch events to local media
- Expand Facebook presence
- Leverage Advisory Council
- Drive Action - Promotion
- Direct mail campaign
- Movie theater ads
10Timeline
Evaluation
Produce messages, materials
Continue campaign
Research to refine messages, tactics
Launch campaign
11Evaluation
- Was Our Plan Effective?
- Measuring Results - During and After Campaign
- Outputs
- Outtakes
- Outcomes
- Broader Questions - Value of the Campaign
- Did we make a difference?
- What did we do for IAVA
as a whole?
12Removing the Stigmas of Mental Health Campaign
for
Thank You Amelia Folkes afolkes_at_gwu.edu Kaly
Godfrey kaly.godfrey_at_nellis.af.mil Bill Madway
wmadway_at_wharton.upenn.edu Gina Marie Santore
gsantore_at_camdencounty.com Maureen F.
VanDeHoef mofitzy_at_gmail.com