The Stand Against Stigma Speaker’s Bureau consists of Brave Faces who courageously share true stories of recovery to help fight the stigma surrounding mental illness, substance use issues, suicide and suicde loss.

Brave Faces are Shasta County residents and include educators, students, artists, community organizers, volunteers, fire­fighters, tribal members, county employees, family members and neighbors. They come from many walks of life, religions, genders, sexual orientations, races and ethnicities.

Speakers have presented to more than 100 community groups, classes and clubs, ranging ​​​​from Mercy Medical Center staff to the Burney Tea Party, from the Pit River Tribe’s Red Road Recovery Group to Happy Valley Middle School stu­dents. Since May 2012, they have directly reached more than 5,700 people in Shasta County.

Brave Faces presentations can be tailored to any auidence. Depending on the speaker, topics may include:

• The importance of self-care/mental health maintenance for medical professionals
• Realities of living with certain diagnoses – PTSD, bipolar, schizo-affective, etc.
• Advice on working with clients with severe symptoms or suffering a crisis
• Experiences with psychiatric medications
• Importance of empathy in medical treatment/patient interactions
• Improving treatment outcomes through cultural competency