What is Painted Brain?

MISSION

Painted Brain creates lasting community-based solutions to mental health challenges and the impact of social injustice through arts, advocacy and enterprise.

When did Painted Brain begin?

In reaction to the trend Dave was seeing among his young adult clients at an outpatient mental health center, he started the art group that became Painted Brain in 2005.

Where is Painted Brain?

Painted Brain's dynamic community meetings happen at our headquarter in Korea town.  We have 1200sq.ft. community space that opens 3 days a week to an average of 60 individuals with 10 part time staffs, Social Workers/interns, and Occupational Therapy interns.  

Wilshire Blvd

Carondelet St

2500 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 934 LA 90057

Hours of Operation: 10am - 5pm

​Days of Operation: Monday , Wednesday, and Fridays

How does Painted Brain spread the word?

Painted Brain gets its message out in person through our speakers bureau seen by more than 700 students in the first half of 2016.  Online, we reach people through our own News, Magazine, and our social media channels which has seen growth by 1800% in the past year to over 19,000 followers.

Who is running Painted Brain?

Painted Brain is a peer-run organization where everyone shares the common interest in mental illness. Our core team has worked together for years and consists of highly-skilled, committed, driven directors of web development, research, media, social media, illustration, and marketing to build the safe and productive space for our community. We are dedicated peer leaders all guided by our founder, Dave Leon, and our co-founder, David Israelian.

What Makes Painted Brain Unique?

"Nobody sends flowers when you're in the mental hospital but Painted Brain is there when you get out. Their creative community is changing the way people think about mental illness."

- Elyn Saks, Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California​.

Painted Brain members

Our community center

Our Model

Our Model

OUR COMMUNITY

OUR SERVICES

OUR MEDIA

History

Painted Brain has operated on a service model of business with limited focus on fundraising.  For much of its history, the project ran with volunteer mental health consumers and social work interns under the supervision of the founding director, building an arts community.  Through the internship, Painted Brain developed an effective model for art group interventions for psychiatric populations that has been shown to increase connection and trust and to decrease anxiety.

Current

Painted Brain generates operational costs by contracting weekly art group services to local psychiatric facilities and treatment centers and through a LA County contract for peer-to-peer contact and outreach.  These sources pay for our community center facilities and staff.  Current operating budget is about $12,000 per month.  

Projects And Activities

Social Impact

Painted Brain Newspaper

When It First Started
October 1, 2015

Facebook          931

Twitter               201

Instagram         496

When We Are Now
November 1, 2016

Facebook           3000

Twitter                9000

Instagram         12300

Our social media has grown 1800% within current 6 months.

Painted Brain Magazine

Painted Brain magazine started in 2005

Painted Brain Events

Growth

Projections

Arts Intervention

Why

Painted Brain?

Painted Brain is meeting two of the biggest needs in mental health: a place to fit in and a makeover for mental illness.  Painted Brain provides a safe space for people with mental illness to find community and purpose, open to all.  It also challenges what mental illness looks like to the public through our media projects, social media campaigns and public events in Los Angeles (so far).

Employment Opportunities

Tech

Peer Leaders

Clothing

Painted Brain provides job skills development trainings and employment opportunities

For more info:

Dave Leon

Email: dave@paintedbrain.org

Web: http://paintedbrain.org

(626) 354 - 1584