MissionThe mission of ICAMI is to contribute to the eradication of mental illness. Mental Illness has suffered from stigma and therefore has not received the degree of attention that it requires. ICAMI ProgramsGlobal Stress Initiative is dedicated to the treatment of post traumatic stress sustained by our military members, veterans, and domestic violence survivors. The initiative promotes innovative, non-pharmacologic interventions including individualized transcranial magnetic stimulation. Learn more about this program at www.globalstressinitiative.org. HistoryThe advent of the psychopharmacologic revolution in psychiatry during the 1950’s spread rapidly throughout the developed world. Many parts of the developing world lacked the resources—fiscal and personnel to participate fully. Nathan S. Kline, M.D.—one of the fathers of the revolution—created the International Committee Against Mental Illness (ICAMI) in 1958 to help correct this deficiency. Dr. Kline led ICAMI until his death in 1982, when Robert Cancro, M.D. assumed the leadership role. Initially, the organization arranged for drugs to be donated by the pharmaceutical industry to developing nations and also sent selected members to train local practitioners. In some cases, local people were brought back to New York for further training and later returned home to practice. The early targets were Haiti and Sub-Saharan Africa. Textbooks and journals were sent for many years because funds were lacking to build professional libraries. Since the advent of the internet this activity has been dropped. Over the years ICAMI’s mission has evolved but has been primarily educational and consultative. A major interest was in the psychosocial rehabilitation of chronic patients. Towards that end, ICAMI induced the World Psychiatric Association to create a Section on Psychiatric Rehabilitation which is still operative and supported by ICAMI to this day. More recently, ICAMI has begun to develop research and policy portfolios to supplement its educational and consultative functions. While the activities change over time the mission to combat mental illness remains constant. ICAMI is dedicated to contribute to the eradication of mental illness. ICAMI Phone: (646) 342-1279
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