Announcing the One Mind Launchpad: A New Pilot Project Designed to Support Young Workers with SMI
One Mind is thrilled to announce our latest upcoming pilot project, the One Mind Launchpad – and it’s recent feature in Forbes!
The One Mind Launchpad will uplift young adults facing serious mental illness (SMI) by empowering them through meaningful employment. Overseen by Brandon Staglin, Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer and Chair of One Mind’s Lived Experience Council, with key contributions by consulting Project Lead Priya Chirayil, the One Mind Launchpad will guide employers to provide direct support to young workers with significant mental health conditions.
The pilot will consist of 3 companies that will partner with One Mind to co-create and enact a tailored mental health strategy that combines essential elements for effective hiring, retention, and career growth. Elements such as the following:
- Participation at all levels of the company’s workforce: A multi-year commitment by the company CEO and other C-suite executives, along with the training of supervisors, managers and co-workers.
- Involvement of One Mind’s Lived Experience group: Training of executives and others by members of One Mind’s group of persons with SMI who can detail their own experiences in the workplace, and lessons from these experiences.
- Supports individualized to each worker: “If you’ve met one person with SMI, you’ve met one person with SMI”, One Mind says in relation to the supports individualized to each worker (a similar saying is part of the neurodiversity community).
- Measurement of outcomes, open reporting, and tracking of participants for a period of years: Perhaps most importantly, a foundational principle of One Mind is that outcomes be measured and reported openly. Employment of participants will be tracked for at least a five year period.
Project Timeline
By January 2026, the One Mind Launchpad pilot phase is set to begin. Brandon Staglin and Priya Chirayil are actively interviewing companies from One Mind at Work’s membership to be among the pilot companies.
In January 2027, the project will enroll its first participants: 50 young persons with significant mental health conditions to be hired into companies, 50 incumbent workers with such conditions to successfully retain their jobs, and 25 incumbent workers promoted to higher level roles.
Beginning in 2028, the project is expected to grow rapidly – with the goal for a total of 14,700 persons with SMI served through the first five years of the project, and with further major expansion planned in the following 5 years.
Want to Know More?
For more information, read the full story on Forbes: “Serious Mental Illness: The Power Of The Job” by Michael Bernick.
Learn more about the One Mind Lived Experience Initiative and be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter so that you can stay up to date on all the latest news and updates!