What MindFreedom International does

MindFreedom International (MFI) is a Eugene, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition founded in 1986 that advocates for human rights in mental health care, with a primary focus on opposing forced psychiatric interventions including involuntary drugging, commitment, electroshock, and restraints. The organization serves psychiatric survivors, mental health consumers, disability rights advocates, family members, and allied professionals across the USA, Ghana, Ireland, and Bangladesh via three named affiliate organizations. Its core programmatic offering is the Shield Program—a volunteer-driven mutual support network comprising an online registration system, a Public Shield Registry, and a Shield Alert mechanism that mobilizes mass-mailing advocacy campaigns when enrollees face coerced treatment. Secondary offerings include Judi's Room (a free monthly educational webinar series co-presented with partner I Love You, Lead On), a Resource Library (harm reduction guides, psychiatric advance directive templates, legal advocacy directories, organizing handbooks), and the MFI Support Coalition linking sponsor and affiliate groups.

MFI's revenue model rests on membership dues (recurring) and donations processed through a CiviCRM platform at supporters.mindfreedom.org, with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. The go-to-market motion is community-led: growth comes through the website, email newsletter, social media, Judi's Room webinars, and grassroots Shield campaigns rather than paid acquisition. Operations are run by a small team of one to ten staff, including a President/CEO (KK), a Director (David Oaks), a part-time Office Manager, and a Chief Volunteer, supported by a Board of Directors that includes international figures such as UN consultant Vesper Moore and retired psychologist Al Galves (PhD). Founding sponsor groups include PsychRights (Jim Gottstein), NARPA, and ISEPP, providing legal and ethical expertise anchors.

Name

MindFreedom International

Legal name

MindFreedom International

Website

https://mindfreedom.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MindFreedom International is a Eugene, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition founded in 1986 that advocates against forced psychiatric treatment through its Shield Program, Judi's Room webinars, and a global affiliate network serving psychiatric survivors and disability rights advocates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) & Mental Health Programs (BPADAIAK)

Keywords

• Mental health advocacy
• Psychiatric survivor rights
• Human rights nonprofit
• Peer support coalition
• Forced treatment opposition

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and new member dues collected through the organization's CiviCRM platform at supporters.mindfreedom.org. Members pay to join or renew their membership supporting the organization.
2. Donations: Direct donations from supporters solicited through the website and email communications. The organization accepts donations via credit card and runs periodic donation campaigns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MindFreedom International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that campaigns for the human rights of people labeled with psychiatric diagnoses and supports psychiatric survivors. It operates programs including the Shield Program, Judi's Room, and the Support Coalition, providing peer support, advocacy, and protection services to individuals facing forced mental health treatment.

Product overview

MindFreedom International (MFI) offers a portfolio of advocacy programs and resources centered on human rights in mental health care. The core offerings include the Shield Program, a comprehensive system for registering psychiatric treatment preferences and organizing public advocacy campaigns when members face coerced intervention; Judi's Room, a monthly educational webinar series; and the MFI Support Coalition network connecting affiliate organizations. The organization does not operate a traditional software product but provides program-based services including a public Shield Registry, Shield Alert system for human rights campaigns, and a resource library containing directories, guides, and educational materials. The architecture is program-centric rather than platform-plus-modules, with each major initiative (Shield, Judi's Room, Support Coalition) operating as a distinct service with its own enrollment, delivery, and communication mechanisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shield Program: A volunteer-driven mutual support network that organizes public campaigns to advocate for individuals subjected to psychiatric intervention without consent.
• Judi's Room

Products and services

• Shield Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully stopped forced outpatient electroshock treatment for Ray Sandford through international Shield campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MindFreedom GhanacoreOthersInternational affiliate of MindFreedom International based in Ghana, working to improve mental health systems and advocate for human rights in Ghana.
• MindFreedom IrelandcoreOthersInternational affiliate operating in Ireland, advocating for human rights in mental health within the Irish context.
• MindfulRights BangladeshcoreOthersInternational affiliate in Bangladesh working on mental health rights advocacy.
• I Love You, Lead OncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Judi's Room monthly educational events with MindFreedom International. Facilitates cross-disability dialogue and hosts events via their Joinit platform.
• Ohio Olmstead Task ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured presenter at Judi's Room event. A statewide coalition formed in 2002, the only independent disability-led Olmstead task force in the US.
• Center for Disability EmpowermentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented at Judi's Room event. A center for independent living in Columbus, Ohio.
• ADA Watch & The Coalition for Disability Rights and Justice (CDRJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured presenter at Judi's Room event. Founded in 2000 by Jim Ward and Justin Dart, Jr.
• PsychRights (Law Project for Psychiatric Rights)coreOthersFounding Sponsor Group of MFI. A nonprofit legal organization focused on challenging forced psychiatric treatment.
• National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA)coreOthersFounding Sponsor Group of MFI. Jim Gottstein is president. Organization dedicated to protecting rights of people labeled with psychiatric disabilities.
• International Society for Ethical Psychiatry and Psychology (ISEPP)coreOthersSponsor Group of MFI. Al Galves serves as director. Organization promoting ethical approaches to psychiatry and psychology.
• Sister Witness International IncorporatedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization founded by Laura Prescott, MFI board member. Focuses on addressing violence and retraumatization in lives of women and girls institutionalized in psychiatric and criminal justice settings.
• Full Spectrum Progressive Mental HealthminorOthersNonprofit center in San Francisco offering voluntary programs for adults and adolescents in severe emotional distress. Sponsor Group of MFI.
• Freedom Center of MassachusettsminorOthersSponsor group mentioned in news coverage. Peer-run organization for mental health consumers.
• Mental Health Consumer ConcernsminorOthersCalifornia organization founded by Jay Mahler, survivor of forced electroshock.
• California Network of Mental Health ClientsminorOthersStatewide network in California founded by Jay Mahler.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PsychRights (Law Project for Psychiatric Rights): A nonprofit legal organization focused on challenging forced psychiatric treatment. As a founding sponsor group of MindFreedom, it shares the same mission and target constituency of psychiatric survivors.
• National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA): An organization dedicated to protecting the rights of people labeled with psychiatric disabilities. As a founding sponsor of MindFreedom, it shares the same advocacy mission and target population.
• Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: A national legal advocacy organization protecting and advancing the rights of people with mental disabilities. Directly comparable to MindFreedom in its focus on legal advocacy against forced psychiatric treatment and discrimination.
• Disability Rights Advocates (DRA): A leading nonprofit disability rights legal center that pursues high-impact litigation and advocacy. Shares MindFreedom's focus on protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities, including psychiatric disabilities.
• Center for Disability Empowerment: A center for independent living in Columbus, Ohio, that has presented at MindFreedom's Judi's Room events. Shares the disability rights and independent living philosophy with MindFreedom's advocacy mission.
• International Society for Ethical Psychiatry and Psychology (ISEPP): An organization promoting ethical approaches to psychiatry and psychology. As a sponsor group of MindFreedom, it shares concerns about coercive psychiatric practices and advocates for humane alternatives.

Broad incumbents

• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): The membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. MindFreedom links to NDRN's directory of legal advocacy agencies, reflecting shared advocacy goals.
• Mental Health America (MHA): A leading nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health and addressing the needs of those living with mental illness through advocacy, education, and research. Shares MindFreedom's focus on mental health consumer advocacy but takes a more mainstream approach.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): The largest grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the US, providing education, support groups, and policy advocacy. While more mainstream than MindFreedom, both organizations serve people affected by mental health conditions and advocate for systemic change.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): A major civil rights organization that has engaged in mental health rights litigation and advocacy. While broader in scope, the ACLU shares MindFreedom's human rights framework and has litigated against forced psychiatric treatment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MindFreedomMedia
• Xx.com/mindfreedom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MindFreedom International