Fueled by his family’s experiences, Kevin Lynch’s mission is to reduce suicide, overdoses, and incarceration of people who have mental health challenges.
Kevin’s son has bipolar disorder, and was incarcerated at a young age, spending 6 years in isolation. After release, there was limited provider availability, and he ended up using drugs and going back to jail.
That experience lead Kevin to start The Quell Foundation.
Over the last six years, The Quell Foundation has provided $2.6-million to college students who have a mental health condition, or whose parent or caregiver was lost to suicide.
The Quell Foundation also created several documentaries to show the true face of mental health – who are people from across all spectrums, not stereotypes.
The organization is working to normalize conversations about mental healthcare and reach people who need help.
You can also listen to the interview in podcast form:
Apple podcast link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of/id1549592446
I Heart podcast link:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-speaking-of-76708275/#
Spotify podcast link:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1g2LUGr0SzxbBmSHB3FHyL?si=PNO79sBOReGXQJu_CrsJEg
Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-m-lynch/
Learn more about The Quell Foundation: https://thequellfoundation.org
Lift the Mask, Portraits of Life with Mental Illness Documentary: https://quell.staging.themoderati.com/lift-the-mask-documentary/
Topical timecodes:
00:00 – video starts
00:34 – About The Quell Foundation
1:04 – Scholarships for the generation creating a paradigm shift
3:50 – Kevin’s story and his son’s story
8:27 – Success of people The Quell Foundation helps
11:19 – Growth of programs & tapping into the Junior board
17:45 – Helping reach those in need & opening the conversation
21:13 – Meaning behind the organization’s name
23:17 – Documentary, Lifting the Mask, Portraits of Life with Mental Illness
