New Logo Strengthens MHASP's Identity

MHASP has redesigned its logo in a way that highlights its message that there is hope for people with mental illnesses.

The new logo is also intended to help MHASP "establish its own identity in the community," said Anita Lynn, deputy executive director for development, who noted that sometimes the public doesn't realize how many programs throughout the region are run by MHASP.

Although MHASP has always incorporated "The Bell of Hope" into its logo, many people have often mistaken it for the Liberty Bell. So to end some of the confusion, the new logo prominently displays the words "The Bell of Hope."

The Bell symbolizes the shift in how people with mental illnesses are perceived and treated. In the past, people with mental illnesses were placed in asylums and bound with iron chains and shackles.

That all changed on April 13,1953, however, when the shackles and chains were melted down and recast into "The Bell of Hope."

The new logo, designed with the help of Tom DeMarco of Signature Communications in Philadelphia, was unveiled in May 1999.