M2G MHI (Mental Health Initiative)

Following the loss of a loved one to bipolar disorder in 2017, M2G’s co-founders, Susan Miller and Jessica Miller Essl, channeled their heartbreak into action by launching M2G’s Mental Health Initiative (MHI). M2G Ventures may be in commercial real estate, but at the heart of our company is innovation. We have a vision for a world that offers better outcomes, earlier intervention, and an established path to healing and wholeness for current and future generations. We have set out to raise awareness and drive advocacy to change the way mental illness is diagnosed and treated, now and in the future.

We have partnered with the UT Southwestern Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care (CDRC) to bring its services, studies, and resources to children and young adults across our region. Led by Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, the CDRC is a nationally recognized center for excellence in the research and treatment of mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. Through innovative programs and studies, Dr. Trivedi and his team are developing practical tests that will transform clinical care for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mood disorders, which will have long-lasting and transformative benefits in our region.

Since the launch of our partnership in 2019, we have raised over $1M to establish and support a clinical site for the CDRC at Moncrief Cancer Institute. Creating an operational presence in Fort Worth has provided residents of Tarrant County with access to novel treatments and research, further expanding the ability to study a broader range of participants in the DFW metroplex.

Furthermore, funding from M2G’s Mental Health Initiative has helped increase participation in T-RAD (Texas Resilience Against Depression), the largest longitudinal study of its kind to date; led research into new treatments, including brain and blood tests for depression and suicide; and built networks and established research-driven programs that extend our reach to adolescents, addressing youth depression and suicide with mental health promotion and resilience training that encourages a conversation long overdue.

Together, we can change the way we treat mental illness. 

Mental Illness

Conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, mood, or behavior. These include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. 

Depression

Depression, or major depressive disorder, is a chronic/recurrent illness and the leading global cause of disability, contributing to poor mental health, lost economic productivity, and suicide. 

The Reality 

The underlying causes of depression remain unknown, which limit our ability to diagnose it or evaluate how well treatments work. As a result, clinical treatment for depression is largely based on a trial-and-error approach, with less than half of people living with depression ever receiving treatment.

Youth in Tarrant County

• 38% of children and youth (ages 6-17) have behavioral health needs. 
• 14% of those (ages 12-17) suffer from depression or bipolar disorder. 
• 10% of high school students in Fort Worth attempted suicide, compared to 7.4% of youth in the U.S.

"Depression should be seen as a pediatric illness." 

- Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, CDRC Director 

"We do not want our children growing up in a place where the outcomes that we have experienced are a reality." 

- Jessica Miller Essl & Susan Miller, M2G Ventures cofounders