Government Executive email The best way to honor Mental Health Awareness Month is to understand how your actions affect others. Devin Boyle | By Devin Boyle Your program director. The new policy advisor who starts work in your department next week. Maybe even you. More than 51 million adults in the United States have a mental illness. Chances are, you work alongside people with mental health disabilities every day. We are the team members you rely on to perform at high levels and to produce quality work. I say “we” because I am a government contractor with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder — both mental health disabilities. I have 15 years of experience in strategic communications; I’ve managed projects in areas spanning from emerging technology to inclusion for vulnerable populations; I’ve written opinion pieces for The Washington Post; and served as a guest lecturer at American University. In short, I’ve been a successful employee who just happens to have mental health disabilities.