This Is My Brave Makes its Stigma-Reduction Intervention Freely Available to the Public
This Is My Brave (TIMB) announced today that it intends to deliver its evidence-based stigma reduction intervention This Is My Brave – The Show free of charge to guarantee accessibility for all communities across the country. Interested producers may now freely access an easy-to-follow toolkit to produce The Show in their community.
Along with this transition, This Is My Brave, Inc., will cease operations as a nonprofit organization.
Co-Founders Jennifer Marshall and Anne-Marie Ames celebrate the very first production of This Is My Brave – The Show with their cast in Arlington, Virginia, in May, 2014.
Dear Supporters, Partners, and Friends,
With a mix of gratitude and pride, we write to inform you of a significant moment in the history of This Is My Brave. After ten years of relentless dedication to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use disorders, we have reached a turning point for our organization.
Our contact-based stigma-reduction program, This Is My Brave – The Show, has been fully developed as a comprehensive, evidence-based intervention that is now freely accessible to communities across the country.
This Is My Brave is now available as a public mental health intervention through The University of South Florida’s Stigma Action Research (STAR) Lab.
Now, having achieved this significant milestone of making the Brave intervention free to the public, we are preparing to transition.
In the coming months, This Is My Brave, Inc., will officially cease operations as a nonprofit organization.
This, however, is not an end but a new beginning for This Is My Brave. With the launch of our toolkit for This Is My Brave – The Show, communities across the country will have the opportunity to independently produce shows that break down stigma and offer hope, just as we have done together for the past decade.
This toolkit provides all the resources needed to produce This Is My Brave – The Show, including guidance on engaging and supporting storytellers through auditions and rehearsals and on hosting a transformative performance. We are confident that the toolkit will empower local communities to continue the important work of reducing stigma and sparking conversations that change lives.
This decision was made with great care, and we are confident it is the best path forward. By developing a step-by-step guide that makes This Is My Brave – The Show freely accessible to all, we have achieved what we as a nonprofit organization can do to advance our mission. We are profoundly grateful for your unwavering support, dedication, and belief in our mission throughout this journey.
Please visit www.thisismybrave.com for more details on accessing the toolkit and continuing the important work of breaking down stigma in your community.
When we began our journey in 2014, our goal for This Is My Brave was simple yet profound: to give individuals living with mental health and substance use challenges a platform to share their stories, fostering empathy, understanding, and healing. Over the years, we’ve seen how the power of storytelling—through creative expression in music, poetry, personal essays, and more—can change lives. Together, we’ve produced over 110 shows in 45 cities, featuring more than 1,200 brave storytellers. The results have been incredible. Our audiences, numbering more than 27,000 audience members and over 300,000 viewers online, have experienced reductions in stigma and a greater willingness to seek mental health support.
As we close this chapter, we are leaving behind a legacy of hope, resilience, and connection.
Thank you, Brave family, for walking alongside us in this journey. Thank you for helping us shine a light on those who live well and thrive while managing a diagnosis of mental health or substance use disorder. We are confident that This Is My Brave – The Show will continue to inspire and empower individuals and communities for years to come.
With Gratitude and Hope,
Jennifer Marshall Erin Gallagher
Co-Founder Executive Director
This Is My Brave, Inc.
#ThisIsMyBrave #StorytellingSavesLives #BraveMultipliesBrave
