A legend is told that many years ago a Ruler in Europe passed a royal decree that all people with a mental illness wear a cow bell around their neck announcing their arrival in the village.  The good people of the village recognized this as discrimination and decided to all wear cow bells as well thereby thwarting the discrimination.

 Today, this action is commemorated with the Bell as the symbol of Mental Health America bringing hope and piece of mind for victory over mental illness.  The Mental Health Bell, pictured here, is made of the iron chains and shackles once used to restrain people with mental illness and collected from asylums throughout the country.

The Mental Health Bell is today a sign of hope

 Mental illnesses are medical conditions and treatable.