home > news and events

The Iris Alliance Fund will host its Sixth Annual Gala on November 1, 2007 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. The event features keynote speaker Jennifer Holliday, mental health advocate and Grammy and Tony Award-Winning Artist. The Iris Alliance Fund will also honor two recipients of the 2007 Leadership Award: Jerry Doyle, CEO of EMQ Children and Family Services and Mary Jane Gross, President and CEO of Stars Behavioral Health Care.

That same day, the Iris Alliance Fund will convene its Sixth Annual Meeting of the National Leadership Council, which will look at the mental health crisis on college campuses, and the need to support school-based mental health systems and community crisis intervention hotlines.

Go to the Event Page.

September 20, 2006 - The Iris Alliance Fund released the results of its postpartum depression opinion poll of 1,000 California parents at the annual meeting of its National Leadership Council in San Francisco.

“We know who is at-risk for postpartum depression and how to diagnose and treat it,” said Mary Hayashi, President of the Iris Alliance Fund. “What families need now are additional resources to treat the problem statewide.”

View the Press Release and poll presentation (654K pdf file).

Link to the KGO-TV (ABC San Francisco Bay Area affiliate) Story with Video - "First of its Kind Postpartum Depression Study" by Carolyn Tyler.

Go to Postpartum Depression Links and Resources

The Iris Alliance Fund will host its Fifth Annual Gala on September 20, 2006 in San Francisco. The event features keynote speaker Tipper Gore, one of the ten most admired women in the world, and 2006 Leadership Award Honoree Patti Chang, President and CEO of The Women's Foundation of California for her work on improving the health and wellness of women and children.

That same day, the Iris Alliance Fund will convene its Fifth Annual Meeting of the National Leadership Council, which will look at gender and mental health. The meeting will feature the results of a new Iris Alliance Fund poll on postpartum depression.

Go to the Event Page.

May 1, 2006- The Iris Alliance Fund's latest report, Building the Path to the Promise of Prevention: Recommendations from the Iris Alliance Fund’s National Leadership Council Meeting features a summary of discussions from the organization's October 2005 Annual Meeting. This report provides recommendations from the Iris Alliance Fund's National Leadership Council for improving communication about youth suicide, identifying model prevention strategies, and increasing access to health services.

View the Report.

Korean Churches for Community Development will honor Iris Alliance Fund President Mary Hayashi at its annual Legacy Awards Dinner in Los Angeles on October 21, 2005. The annual event recognizes those who have contributed to the advancement of the Korean American Community.

“I feel privileged to be acknowledged by a group that works so tirelessly on behalf of the Korean American community,” Ms. Hayashi said. “Their focus on removing the cultural, language and economic barriers the community faces complements the Iris Alliance Fund’s efforts to eliminate similar barriers to quality mental health care.”

The Legacy Awards Dinner is part of the events surrounding KCCD’s 4th Annual Lighting the Community Conference: Building Blocks for Success: Investing in our Youth, Strengthening our Communities, and Securing Funding for our Future. Korean Churches for Community Development is a nonprofit faith-based organization that serves as a bridge between the Asian American community and the greater community at large in connecting and creating private and public collaborations.

For more information about the event, please visit kccd3300.org.

15 New Members Join National Leadership Council

The Iris Alliance Fund is excited to welcome the 15 diverse leaders who have joined the ranks of the National Leadership Council this year. This impressive group represents a variety of fields, including youth well-being, multicultural health, juvenile justice, and the California State Senate. This growth serves to strengthen our message and push us closer to bringing about a world without stigma.

Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, MPA
Executive Director
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California

Carol Berkowitz, MD
President
American Academy of Pediatrics

Kyra Bobinet, MD
Executive Director
Vision Youthz

Father Gregory Boyle, SJ
Founder and Director
Homeboy Industries & Jobs for a Future

Charles Bresler, PhD
President
The Men's Wearhouse

John Buck
President
California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies

Bruce Fisher, JD
Executive Director
Huckleberry Youth Programs, Inc.

Susan Jamerson, MPH
Executive Director
Native American Health Center

Ted Lempert
President
Children Now

Daniel Macallair, MPA
Executive Director
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

Shelly Masur, MPH
Director
Adolescent Health Collaborative

Sandra Naylor-Goodwin, PhD
Executive Director
California Institute of Mental Health

Carole Shauffer, JD
Executive Director
Youth Law Center

The Honorable Tom Torlakson
California State Senate

Jorge Valencia
President & Executive Director
The Trevor Project

Iris Alliance Fund President and Founder Mary Hayashi was appointed to California’s Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. This 16-member commission of elected state officials and governor appointees was created by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) to monitor the Act’s implementation.

The role of the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission is to develop strategies to overcome stigma and accomplish the objectives of the Act. The Commission will advise the governor or the Legislature regarding actions the state may take to improve care and services for people with mental illness. The Commission is required to annually review and approve each county’s mental health program.

View the Press Release.

The Iris Alliance Fund is pleased to announce that it will host its Fourth Annual Gala fundraiser, Building the Path to the Promise of Prevention, on Wednesday, October 19, 2005. This exciting event will feature keynote speaker Tipper Gore and honoree Anne Bakar of Telecare Corporation, as well as recognize Mental Health Association of California Executive Director Rusty Selix and former Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, for their leadership as the authors of California's groundbreaking Proposition 63.

View More Event Info.

October 14, 2004 - The Iris Alliance Fund released the results of its national public opinion poll on youth suicide at the annual meeting of its National Leadership Council in San Francisco.

“This is groundbreaking information,” said Mary Hayashi, founder of the Iris Alliance Fund. “It proves what we know from personal experience to be true—that suicide touches everyone. The fact that 42 percent of Americans have been touched by the tragedy of teen suicide makes it even more clear that suicide and depression are not matters that should be swept under the rug. They are public health issues that we have to address before any more lives are lost.”

View the Press Release and Poll Hightlights.

August 20, 2004 - Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) today announced he has appointed health care advocate Mary C. Hayashi to the Board of Registered Nursing.

"Mary Hayashi has spent more than 14 years advocating for health care issues," said Speaker Núñez. "Her longstanding dedication to health awareness for Asian Americans, suicide prevention, and cancer prevention makes her a great fit for this board."

The Board of Registered Nursing licenses and regulates registered nursing in California.

View the Speaker's Press Release.

The Iris Alliance Fund awarded grants to nine agencies under its South Bay Leadership Council program. These organizations are conducting programs designed to develop youth leadership, promote self-esteem, and educate youth about issues of depression and substance abuse.

Learn More About Our Partners.