Kim Helmus is GGZ-psychologist and VGCT Project-Coordinator of the "What do you do" project at the Phrenos Research center.
Over the last four years, Kim worked in the field of psychiatry, at the psychosis circuit of the GGZ Drenthe. These were valuable years, in which she learned that working with these people was both stimulating and rewarding. What frustrated her however, was the social stigma her clients had to deal with. She decided to try to do something about it. She gave lectures a schools and paid special attention to the subject of 'stigma' in the therapy she provided. During the last six months she has travelled all over the word, looking for and visiting projects that inspired her. She held interviews with clients, expert and those otherwise acquainted with the subject. In the coming months she will be sifting through this material and describing the 15 best practices world-wide. In her talk she will forward her ideas on how to counter social stigma in mental health patients. Through this activity she also hopes to inspire the people from the best practices themselves, to spring into action themselves.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)