So you want to be a mental health advocate. You’re well informed about the issues. You have a passion to make a difference. You want your voice to be heard. You’re ready to take action.
Now what?
How can you express your mental health advocacy?
There are many, many options.
If this intro sounds strangely familiar, it should. In a recent post, I covered several ways to get your advocacy groove on while still at home and comfy in your pajamas. This time (part 2), let’s cover some advocacy activities that typically require you to be fully dressed and outside your home, plus some resources in each category for you to explore further. (But you can read this post in your jammies if you like.)
1) TV, radio, and film
- Approach local television and radio outlets and pitch ideas for you to appear on a segment with a mental health theme. You might want to publicize an upcoming mental health educational or charitable event, a depression or anxiety screening, or highlight a mental health awareness observance.
- This can be a major project, but consider putting together a short film or longer documentary with a mental health focus. There are many potential topics of interest, including suicide prevention, dating and domestic violence, awareness about specific mental illnesses, current legislation affecting mental health services and so on.
- Check out: Not Broken Radio, Moments of Clarity, Suicide: The Ripple Effect
2) Legislative advocacy
- First, make sure you’re registered to vote.
- Make an appointment to go and talk with your state or Federal legislators about current bills related to mental health issues. Tell them you’re their constituent to get their attention.
- Attend legislative committee hearings to support mental health-related bills. Often, you can arrange to speak to share your story and why the legislation matters to you.
- Check out: More legislative advocacy tips.
3) Workplace wellness
- Plan and staff a mental health-focused table at a workplace health and wellness event. Give out materials on stress management, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and local mental health resources.
- Invite a local mental health provider or mental health organization to come and give a “lunch and learn” talk about mental health issues at your workplace.
- Work with your human resources office to offer enhanced employee wellness programs, such as walking campaigns, yoga classes, or mindfulness breaks.
- Check out: Center for Workplace Mental Health, Heads Up, Workforce Mental Health Collaborative
4) Mental health organizations
- Endless opportunities abound here. There are many worthwhile organizations which promote various aspects of mental health. Find one or two local groups whose mission matches your interests and values. Then, go to a meeting or two to check them out.
- If you’re still interested, step up and volunteer to be on a committee, work on a project, or do fund-raising. Keep showing up and often you can move up the ranks into larger leadership roles over time.
- Check out: Active Minds, NAMI, NEDA
5) Public speaking
- Volunteer to talk in a public setting about a mental health issue you’re knowledgeable about, based on your personal experiences, education, or professional training.
- Remember that many people aren’t well informed, so start with the basics and then get more detailed.
- Check out: “How to Publicly Share Your Mental Health Story”
I hope these two posts have given you lots of ideas for how to more fully express your passion for mental health advocacy. Try a few and see what fits best for you. The sky really is the limit.
Here’s a question: What are some other ways to express your mental health advocacy? Please leave a comment. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter), “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this article, please share it with a friend!