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Within Our Reach by Rosalynn Carter

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has been deeply invested in mental health issues since her husband's gubernatorial campaign, when she saw firsthand the horrific, dehumanizing treatment of people with mental illnesses. Using stories from her 35 years of public service to discuss the larger issues at hand, Mrs. Carter crafts an intimate and powerful account of a subject previously shrouded in stigma and shadow that affects us all.

In "Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis," Mrs. Carter and co-authors Susan K. Golant and Kathryn E. Cade render an insightful, unsparing assessment of the state of mental health. Mrs. Carter describes a system that continues to fail those in need, despite recent breakthroughs in treatment that can help most people with mental illnesses lead productive lives.

"Within Our Reach" is a seminal, searing, and ultimately optimistic look at how far we've come since Mrs. Carter's days on the campaign trail and how far we have yet to go.

She writes: "Americans think of ourselves as decent, generous, and compassionate people, and for the most part we are. But we treat a large portion of our own population as if they are second-class citizens. Ultimately, the way we treat people with mental illnesses in our society is a moral issue—to neglect those, who through no fault of their own, are in need runs counter to our core principles—the values of decency and equality that we hold dear."

This video is shared with permission from Rodale Books.

Founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. The Center wages peace, fights disease, and builds hope worldwide.

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