2020 marked an important milestone for BC2M — the celebration of our tenth year eradicating stigma, normalizing mental health conversations, and empowering people to share their stories.

Thank you for joining us on this remarkable journey.

Thank You From BC2M’S High School Program

BC2M History

2009

August 2009

The 1st PSA: Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station was transformed into a set for the first BC2M PSA, which launched the organization. Directed by Ron Howard and complemented by John Mayer’s donated song Say , hundreds of individuals joined the Close Family proudly wearing BC2M t-shirts to spark a conversation about mental health.

2012

December 2012

Glenn Receives AGA Leadership Award

The American Giving Awards honored Glenn, Jessie, and Calen for their efforts to establish BC2M. This nationally-televised event served as one of the first major acknowledgements of the organization and lifelong work of the Close family.

2013

May 2013

The 2nd PSA: Schizo

The second PSA was created in collaboration with Time to Change, England’s largest organization challenging mental health stigma, and features members of the Close family explaining Schizoaffective Disorder.

June 2013

Glenn Attends White House Mental Health Conference

Click the image below or here to be directed to YouTube to view the video.

Glenn joined President Obama and other leaders at the White House for the National Conference on Mental Health to discuss reducing stigma and providing help for those living with mental illness.

2014

August 2014

BC2M University Program Launches

BC2M U launched a four-year invention and assessment research project at Indiana University to develop an anti-stigma program. The findings from this first of its kind were published in the Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) .

2015

January 2015

The 3rd PSA: #StrongerThanStigma

Created in partnership with Brandon Marshall’s Project 375, the third PSA raises awareness around the unique challenges that men face when discussing mental health through the voices of four inspirational male figures in professional sports, television, and music.

August 2015

BC2M High School Program Launches

Starting with a 25-school pilot program in the San Francisco Bay Area, BC2M entered high schools. That fall, UC Berkeley launched a two-year research project on the pilot phase.

November 2015

Glenn Awarded WebMD Health Hero

Glenn’s sister Jessie, the inspiration behind BC2M’s founding, presents Glenn with the People’s Choice Health Hero Award at the WebMD Gala in New York City.

2016

May 2016

The 4th PSA: #MindOurFuture

BC2M’s fourth PSA delivers powerful stories about living with mental illness from real teens who submitted their personal experiences for inclusion.

2017

March 2017

BC2M on CNN’s Mostly Human

This powerful episode of CNN’s Mostly Human with Laurie Segall series features BC2M Board Members Meredity Ackley and Nellie Draganic.

May 2017

The 5th PSA: Talk To Anyone

Using roleplay to navigate conversations, BC2M’s fifth PSA addresses the biggest challenge when discussing mental health, getting started. The series of “how to talk about” interactions provides language that applies to various disorders and relationships.

October 2017

BC2M Bestows Upon Billy Crystal 1st Robins Williams Legacy of Laughter Award

At the fifth annual Revels & Revelations Event, BC2M bestowed upon Billy Crystal the first-ever Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award.

2018

April 2018

The 6th PSA: Not That Weird

This eye-catching PSA features a series of unusual visual metaphors in an attempt to remove the “weird” feeling we face when discussing mental health.

May 2018

BC2M Partners with HBC

The HBC/Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation donated $500,000 to BC2M in support of mental health programs following their #1in5 fundraiser.

June 2018

Battling America’s Suicide Crisis on CNN

Glenn Close joins a panel to discuss hope on the CNN Special Report “Finding Hope: Battling America’s Suicide Crisis” hosted by Anderson Cooper, which aired following the loss of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain.

October 2018

BC2M Bestows Upon Whoopi Goldberg 2nd Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award

At the sixth annual Revels & Revelations event, BC2M honored Whoopi Goldberg with the second Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award.

2019

April 2019

The 7th PSA: Between the Lines

This PSA addressed America’s shortage in mental health workers with a message meant to inspire career interest.

November 2019

BC2M Bestows Upon Ben Stiller 3rd Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award

At the seventh annual Revels & Revelations event, BC2M honored Ben Stiller with the third Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award.

2020

April 2020

The 8th PSA: #NoNormal

While most of us have been socialized from a young age to want to be “normal,” this PSA dismantles the very idea of normal by encouraging viewers to not filter themselves to fit unrealistic norms.

April 2020

BC2M HS Clubs Go Virtual In Response to COVID

In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Glenn Close and Kevin Love hosted the first national BC2M high school club meeting virtually.