Scholarship

NCI History

Two years after their daughter, Naomi, took her life, Larry and Marilyn Cohen publicly broke their silence about Naomi's struggle with bipolar disorder. They founded The Naomi Ruth Cohen Charitable Institute. The Institute's mission was two-fold: to honor the memory of Naomi and to promote education, anti-discrimination, and advocacy as a means of reducing the stigma associated with mental illness.

Since its modest beginning in 2002, the Institute has forged partnerships with dozens of professionals and organizations and has reached thousands of community members through conferences, workshops, and other outreach programming. In 2008, the Institute formally affiliated with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and became The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education.

Our Goals

The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute works to address issues of mental illness and associated stigma among diverse community groups. The Cohen Institute has sponsored and organized a variety of projects that addressed mental health stigma among African Americans, Latinos, Women, Men, Boys, Girls, and Youth. The Cohen Institute's newest initiative seeks to engage youth as agents of change. The Cohen Institute believes that educating youth about mental health is a proactive and preventive measure that can assist in reversing the longstanding pattern of shame and embarrassment that individuals experiencing mental illness often feel.

Our Plan

The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute believes that the best way to reach youth is through individuals whom they know, trust, and respect--for example, their teachers, caregivers, and mentors. In an effort to positively impact today's youth and the individuals working with them, the Cohen Institute will be challenging individuals embarking on careers with children to develop a plan for educating these children about mental health. In its first ever Cohen Young Fellows Contest, the Cohen Institute is offering a contest to new and aspiring professionals working with children in Chicago's African American communities.

Cohen Young Fellows Contest

The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute will offer $1,000 each to winning contestants who meet the following criteria:

• Enrolled in a program at an educational institution.
• Pursuing a career working in direct service to youth between the ages of 3-18
• Currently working with or intend to work with a predominantly African-American population

Contestants will be asked to address the following question:

• How would you teach children about mental health?
• Develop a detailed plan for educating the youth with whom you intend to work about mental health issues.
• Include supplies needed, cost, and target population (age, gender, location).
• Consider the culture and issues of diversity for your target population as they relate to mental health.
• Be as specific and detailed as possible in describing exactly what it is that you would do.

Contestants will be rated and winners will be selected based on the following aspects of their proposal:

• Originality of concept.
• Appropriateness for target population.
• Attention to detail.
• Feasibility.

Winners will be awarded $1,000 each. In addition, one or more of the winning contestant's proposed plans may be implemented with the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute's assistance.

Proposals should be post-marked on or before February 1, 2010 to:

Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
325 North Wells Street, Room 742
Chicago, IL 60654

The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute is looking for proposals from individuals eligible for the Cohen Young Fellows Contest. We welcome your interest in helping us reach out. You may download a contest application here.