Women Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness

Anne Ford served as Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) from 1989 to 2001. Mrs. Ford has co-authored five books with John-Richard Thompson. These books include: Laughing Allegra, On Their Own, and A Special Mother. Their fourth book, The Forgotten Child: “If She is Special, What am I?” Sibling Issues: When Learning Disabilities Cause Tension in the Home was published in 2015. Their current book, The Stigmatized Child: Helping Parents Overcome the Stigma Attached to Learning Disabilities, ADHD, and Lack of Social Skills was published in 2018. She has received many honors for her work, including the Lizette H. Sarnoff Award for Volunteer Service from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from Leslie University for her advocacy work for people with learning disabilities.

Ellen Levine is responsible for strengthening and developing current titles, both domestically and internationally, and evaluating opportunities for brand extensions, digital media and books. Levine made publishing history in October 1994 as the first woman to be named editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping. She was instrumental in launching O, The Oprah Magazine, Food Network Magazine, HGTV Magazine, and Dr. Oz The Good Life. All four of these rank in the top ten monthly magazines in the US. In 2017, she launched The Pioneer Woman Magazine which profiles Ree Drummond, an award-winning American blogger and TV personality. Levine also served as editor-in-chief of Redbook and Woman’s Day. She is the author of numerous books and articles, and her work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times.

Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.