AFJ Member Spotlight is a series where we highlight the great advocacy work of Alliance for Justice member organizations. AFJ is an alliance of more than 100 national, regional, and local organizations working for a wide range of progressive causes. Click here for more information on the benefits of becoming an AFJ member organization. Today, Erin Wallace, Senior Director of Communications and Marketing at Mental Health America, talks about the organization and their B4Stage4 campaign.
What is the Mental Health America’s issue focus?
Mental Health America (MHA)—founded in 1909—is the nation’s leading community-based non-profit dedicated to helping all Americans achieve wellness by living mentally healthier lives. Our work is driven by our commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all, early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated care and treatment for those who need it—with recovery as the goal. Much of our work is guided by the Before Stage 4 (#B4Stage4) philosophy—that mental health conditions should be treated long before they reach the most critical points in the disease process.
Current campaign: B4Stage4
For over 65 years, MHA and our affiliates have led the observance of May is Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings at www.mhascreening.org. We welcome other organizations to join us in spreading the word that mental health is something everyone should care about by using the May is Mental Health Month toolkit materials and conducting awareness activities. This year’s theme is “B4Stage4” and will focus on how people can address their mental health early, rather than at “Stage 4”—when symptoms are more severe, and recovery a longer process.
On June 3-5, MHA will also hold its 2015 Annual Conference: Intervention and Innovation Before Stage 4 in Alexandria, Virginia. This year speakers include the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, Senator Chris Murphy, Dr. Tom Insel of NIMH, Pamela Hyde of SAMHSA and others. As part of pre-conference activities, there will be an Advocacy Training on the 2nd and many conference attendees will head to the Hill to advocate for changes in our mental health care system. We encourage partners and organizations to register to attend and spread the word. Follow MHA on Facebook and Twitter for more information!
Tips and lessons: Prepare for glitches!
It is so important to plan for and assume there will be glitches in campaign planning. Nothing ever goes according to plan. So you can never been too organized with event planning or too meticulous with copy-editing, because even the most seasoned advocate can make mistakes and you sometimes need to pivot quickly. And when mistakes or glitches happen, just remember to breathe and work through it, because there is almost always a solution.
How has AFJ’s Bolder Advocacy initiative has helped your organization?
The Tools for Effective Advocacy Page is great, which helps nonprofits enhance and fine-tune strategy development and resources to be successful. It’s also just incredibly helpful to evaluate your advocacy to ensure you are doing all you can to reach your short- and long-term goals.
Who inspires you? This can be an inspiration to the person submitting the response or an organizational inspiration.
MHA was established by former psychiatric patient Clifford W. Beers, who declared over a hundred years ago: “I must fight in the open.” During his stays in public and private institutions, Beers witnessed and was subjected to horrible abuse. From these experiences, Beers set into motion a reform movement that took shape and is now known as Mental Health America. His legacy still guides the way all of us at MHA strive to do our jobs—and we try to never lose sight of the ultimate goal—to eliminate the stigma related to mental health, to provide the advocacy to ensure the civil rights of people with mental conditions are protected, and to ensure services needed are available to everyone.
