***Please note the Georgia State Capitol requires a photo ID for entry. Also, there is a cost for parking or you can take the MARTA to the Georgia State Station. Food options in the Capitol are limited so we recommend bringing a lunch. There are food options within one block of the Capitol.***
There are many options for you to participate in a Mental Health Monday! For example:
(1) Make an appointment to meet with your Representative and Senator. [email protected] will send you a link to do this.
(2) Sit/stand on steps of the south wing, main stairway to get maximum exposure. We will have signs that say Together for Mental Health. However, homemade signs are welcomed & encouraged. Please be appropriate.
(3) Record your recovery story at the Capitol, which is a great background for you and your story. Share on Social Media and use #Vote4MentalHealth.
(4) Take lots of pictures and share them on Social Media. Tag your legislators. #Vote4MentalHealth
(5) Work with the NAMI Georgia Advocacy Team and email [email protected] to see what other opportunities are available!
Participation in any of the above activities is optional, but all are encouraged!
Mental Health Advocacy Resources
In partnership with:
In partnership with:
Past Legislative Successes
2023 is The Year of the Peer!
2023 was The Year of the Peer — getting the peer voice involved in what they wanted. Our Peers wanted housing, and HB 520 brought that to them. Including language to:
- Eliminating criminal records as a barrier to housing
- Assessing the creation of housing set-asides to establish incentives through DCH's Qualified Allocation Plan for peers cycling through the system
- Increase the Supporting Housing Supply
- Seed a Landlord Incentive fund to rent
We Made 2022 the Year for Mental Health in Georgia
Thanks to all of our NAMI advocates and the hard work of the Georgia Mental Health Policy Partnership, the Georgia legislators unanimously passed the largest mental health reform bills ever. Additionally, 13 other bills address mental health were passed, adding even more support for mental health care.
The Mental Health Parity Act (Georgia General Assembly - HB 1013 (ga.gov)) will help Georgians access affordable mental health and substance use disorder treatment for themselves and their children by ensuring that public and private health insurance plans cover behavioral health equitably with physical health.
Learn More about Advocating for Mental Health
Take the stigmafree Pledge
Mental health matters to everyone. Individuals, companies, organizations and others can all take the pledge to learn more about mental illness, to see a person for who they are and take action on mental health issues. Take the pledge and raise awareness.
- Learn about mental health—educate myself and others
- See the person not the illness—strive to listen, understand, tell my own story
- Take action—spread the word, raise awareness, make a difference
Share Your Story
It’s important for people living with mental health conditions to know that they are not alone. Sharing a story about your personal experiences with mental health challenges can help in your own recovery as well as provide encouragement and support to others with similar experiences. Telling your story can take several forms:
- Prose/poetry
- Song lyrics
- Inspirational quotes
- Drawings
- Photos
- Videos
NAMI offers two safe, moderated spaces for sharing stories and creative expression: You Are Not Alone and OK2Talk. These spaces also allow for anonymous public posting, unlike our NAMI blog.
You have an authentic voice. You can make a difference for yourself and others by sharing your experiences and perspective. What has helped? What hasn’t? What has been most discouraging about your condition? What has given you hope? There are all sorts of things you know that other people want to know—you are not alone.
Let them know that they aren’t either.
Take Action on Public Policy Issues
Public policy makes a difference in the lives of both the people living with mental health conditions and the people in their lives. Changes in policy can mean better outcomes. Our advocacy efforts have led to many victories including:
- Securing better funding for research.
- Protecting access to treatments and services.
- Attaining mental health parity to ensure that mental illness is treated equally to physical illness in most insurance plans.
But we still have work to do, and we need your help. Learn about mental health advocacy. Talk to your neighbors, friends and family about why these issues are important. Visit the NAMI Advocacy Headquarters to add your voice to our advocacy efforts.
To learn more about NAMI’s stance on advocacy and public policy issues that affect adults and children living with mental illness and their families, read the NAMI Public Policy Platform (PDF).
