Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation Inc

MHOMF'S 1ST PROJECT, ESTABLISHED WITH THE WASHINGTON URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE WHICH MHOMF HELPED TO REVIVE, WAS CREATION OF THE MATTHEW HARRIS ORNSTEIN SUMMER DEBATE INSTITUTE IN SUMMER 2015. THE INSTITUTE HAS BEEN HELD ANNUALLY SINCE THEN, GROWING FROM 5 DAYS FOR 30 STUDENTS TO 200 STUDENTS ATTENDING FOR 2 WEEKS, VARSITY DEBATERS FOR 3. DURING HIS LIFE, MATTHEW WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT POLICY DEBATE, WAS A NATIONAL CHAMPION DEBATER IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND CREDITED DEBATE WITH MUCH OF HIS SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND. MHOMF'S SUMMER INSTITUTE, PATTERNED AFTER ONE THAT MATTHEW ATTENDED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN DURING HIGH SCHOOL, IS FOR TITLE I STUDENTS, 6TH GRADE AND UP, IN THE DC AREA. ITS RIGOROUS PROGRAM TEACHES RESEARCH, ADVOCACY, AND PUBLIC SPEAKING, EXPANDS STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD, DEVELOPS THEIR CONFIDENCE, FOSTERS TEAMWORK, CIVILITY AND GENERALLY PREPARES STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS IN THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS IN A FUN AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT.

AS ITS 2ND PROJECT, MHOMF DECIDED IN 2017 TO PRODUCE A MOVIE ABOUT THE REMARKABLE EFFORTS OF JUDGE STEPHEN LEIFMAN OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA TO DECRIMINALIZE TREATMENT OF THOSE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND TO SERVE AS A TEMPLATE FOR OTHER LOCALES WANTING TO REPLICATE THE JUDGE'S WORK. AFTER 3 YEARS OF EFFORT WITH FOUND OBJECT FILMS, "THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY" OPENED AT THE MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL IN MARCH 2020 AND IN APRIL, AIRED ON PBS TO A LARGE NATIONAL AUDIENCE. THOUGH IN-PERSON SCREENINGS HAD TO BE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID, MHOMF HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONDUCT MANY REMOTE SHOWINGS FOLLOWED BY PANELS WITH JUDGE LEIFMAN, OTHERS ON HIS TEAM AND OFTEN LOCAL OFFICIALS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF SPONSORING GROUPS. IN THIS WAY, MHOMF HAS REACHED LARGE AND DIVERSE AUDIENCES AND GENERATED THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION ON TIMELY ISSUES SUCH AS POLICE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, INEQUITIES IN OUR PENAL SYSTEM AND ESCALATING RATES OF MENTAL ILLNESS. MHOMF CONTINUES TO RECEIVE REGULAR REQUESTS FOR SHOWINGS.

A LARGE % OF THOSE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS HAVE AS A SYMPTOM AND A RESULT OF THEIR DISEASE, A LACK OF INSIGHT THAT THEY REQUIRE TREATMENT TO IMPROVE AND/OR TO AVOID FURTHER DETERIORATION. THIS CONDITION, PREVALENT AMONG HOMELESS, IS ANOSOGNOSIA. ITS LEADING EXPERT IS DR. XAVIER AMADOR. OVER 20 YEARS OF CARING FOR HIS ILL BROTHER, DR. AMADOR DEVELOPED A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUE, "LEAP", FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE SUFFERING FROM ANOSOGNOSIA. PARTNERING WITH DR. AMADOR AND THE HENRY AMADOR CENTER ON ANOSOGNOSIA, MHOMF BEGAN AS ITS 3RD PROJECT TO OFFER FULL DAY LEAP TRAININGS FOR LOVED ONES AND OTHERS DEALING WITH THOSE LACKING INSIGHT INTO THEIR ILLNESSES. A SECOND "TRAIN THE TRAINER" DAY WAS ALSO OFFERED TO DEVELOP A NATIONAL NETWORK OF INDIVIDUALS TO SPREAD DR. AMADOR'S WORK. WITH THE PANDEMIC, IN-PERSON TRAININGS STOPPED, BUT MHOMF, WITH THE AMADOR CENTER, HAS FUNDED SPECIAL SOFTWARE AND A NEW PROGRAM FORMAT TO CONDUCT VERY POPULAR SHORTER TRAININGS ONLINE.