Jackie Goldstein

For 24 years (1991-2015) Jackie Goldstein, was a psychology professor at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. For many more years she has been aware of the public stigma of mental illness which can lead to "self-stigma" and a potential failure to seek or comply with treatment. In 1982 she first learned of Geel, Belgium, a stigma-free community with a centuries old tradition of foster family care for the mentally ill, where citizens acknowledge the human needs of those with a diagnosis of...See more

For 24 years (1991-2015) Jackie Goldstein, was a psychology professor at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. For many more years she has been aware of the public stigma of mental illness which can lead to "self-stigma" and a potential failure to seek or comply with treatment. In 1982 she first learned of Geel, Belgium, a stigma-free community with a centuries old tradition of foster family care for the mentally ill, where citizens acknowledge the human needs of those with a diagnosis of mental illness, offering them opportunities for social interaction and meaningful work. Dr.Goldstein has visited Geel seven times; in addition she has identified and visited fifteen mental health programs in the United States that, in a variety of ways, offer a similar environment of encouraging tolerance. With these visits, she has come to understand that a significant source of hope for the mentally ill is the metaphorical "voice" of acceptance that a stigma free community offers. See less