I’ve been fortunate to have connected with a lot of terrific mental health advocates from all around the world over the last several years. I’ve been blown away by their courage, determination, and compassion, as they fight to reduce stigma and discrimination and raise awareness around mental health issues.
Despite the great work done by these advocates, they are sometimes not well known to the public. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to periodically highlight some of these advocates to call attention to their worthwhile contributions.
It’s always risky to make a list where you single out specific people, as you invariably leave out many other amazing folks. But I’ll take that risk and will start with a list of 12 wonderful mental health advocates you definitely need to know more about. I hope to highlight many more additional advocates from time to time in the future.
I’ve previously talked about some of the qualities of great advocates, including being passionate, knowledgeable, inspiring, persistent, and goal-oriented. All of the advocates listed below display these qualities in abundance. However, since I don’t want to favor one person more than any other, I’ll just list them alphabetically by last name.
As a final disclaimer, I can’t begin to capture all of the worthwhile efforts these folks are involved in so I’ll mention just a couple of items for each person. Through the links provided, you can connect further with them and learn more about their activities. Okay, here we go.
Hannah Blum – Hannah candidly and courageously shares her journey and struggles with bipolar disorder through her blog and her incredible Instagram page. She just wrote her first book, “The Truth About Broken: The Unfixed Version of Self-Love,” an inspiring and empowering collection of essays, quotes, and poems, which reminds us to love ourselves despite our flaws and imperfections.
Rudy Caseres – Rudy, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is everywhere, it seems. He does Facebook Live shows for The Mighty, hosts “No Restraints with Rudy Caseres,” co-hosts the #SPSM (Suicide Prevention Social Media) chat, blogs, speaks, wins numerous advocacy awards, and is a positive force to be reckoned with.
Joan Cook – Joan is a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Yale University, and a leading researcher in the area of trauma treatment and PTSD. In her free time, Joan writes thoughtful and informative op-eds on mental health issues for prominent media outlets such as CNN, Time and The Hill. Her pieces are laced with links to the most current scientific research.
Kelly Davis – Kelly has worked with Mental Health America, one of the leading US mental health advocacy organizations and has coordinated efforts to highlight innovative college mental health awareness programs. Kelly has spoken at the White House, has been featured in major media outlets, and also keynotes about her own struggles with mental illness.
Amy Gamble – Amy played college basketball and was on the US Olympic handball team. She was an administrator in a local chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Her book, “Bipolar Disorder, My Biggest Competitor” is a must read. She is an inspiring and educational speaker who has shared her message of hope to audiences nationwide.
Natalie Harris – Natalie was a paramedic in Ontario, Canada who faced PTSD, depression and addiction following a horrific workplace experience. She has written a book about her experiences, started a support group for first responders and serves as an elected member of her city council. Her “addiction get-well cards” offer handwritten messages of inspiration to those in recovery.
Kevin Hines – Kevin is best known for having survived a suicide attempt after jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Kevin tirelessly travels the world to spread a message of awareness, hope and suicide prevention. He has been featured in national media and in his award-winning documentary “Suicide: The Ripple Effect.” Also check out his memoir, “Cracked, Not Broken.”
Gabe Howard– Gabe is a an award-winning advocate who lives with bipolar disorder. He hosts two popular podcasts, “Not Crazy” and “The Psych Central Podcast.” His book, “Mental Illness is an A**hole” is a collection of his essays about mental illness. He is also a frequent blogger and speaker on mental health issues.
Jennifer Marshall – Jennifer was diagnosed with bipolar disorder but as she says, “It does not define me.” She subsequently founded “This Is My Brave,” which features live programs in various cities that feature stories and narratives from speakers with mental illness and addiction. Through Jennifer, you can bring such an event to your community.
Ali Mattu – Ali is a clinical psychologist who produces the outstanding YouTube program, “The Psych Show.” Through relatable examples, Ali’s program educates the public about psychology and mental health topics in an entertaining and engaging manner. Ali says “I make psychology fun and easy to understand.”
Brittney Moses – Brittney is a psychology student at UCLA who writes a blog and hosts a podcast on “Faith and Mental Wellness,” which addresses issues related to both mental health and spirituality. Brittney hopes to pursue a career in clinical psychology and she facilitates recovery support groups through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Dese’Rae Stage – Dese’Rae is known as one of the leading advocates in suicide prevention. Her award-winning “Live Through This” project features portraits and inspiring personal accounts of men and women who have survived suicide attempts. Her work has been featured in outlets such as People, Time, CBS News, and the New York Times.
Here’s a question: What other mental health advocates have made a positive impact on you? Please leave a comment. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend.