Mental health literacy can be taught in grade school. | Wendy Smith | TEDxLincolnSquare

Wendy Smith is an early interventionist. By sharing with us what a mental health literate world could look like, she gives us hope that we can find a way to prevent the ongoing suffering of our loved ones. Wendy has worked in the nonprofit industry for nearly 30 years, currently as a consultant, speaker and author. She was an early advocate of applying a business perspective to the nonprofit operating model and worked at every level from service provider to executive to board member. She is also a researcher and author in the field of philanthropy. Her best-selling book, "Give a Little: How Your Small Donations Can Transform Our World," was released in 2009 and describes the magnitude and power of affordable giving by everyday Americans. The book's release coincided with the explosion of online donating, and she has since consulted to numerous start-up nonprofits, social entrepreneurs and organizations focused on raising affordable donations from individuals online. Wendy is also involved in the field of mental health as a consumer, caregiver and former board member of her local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx