New Toolkit Helps Advocates Promote Mental Health in 2008 Elections

As this fall’s election season approaches, we are constantly reminded of the important role our federal, state and local representatives play in the future of America’s mental health. Yet many of our nation’s elected officials fail to recognize mental health and its accompanying problems as top priorities.

That’s why earlier this year, Mental Health America developed an “Election Toolkit,” designed to help mental health consumers, advocates and its affiliate field raise the profile of mental health in the 2008 presidential, congressional and gubernatorial elections.

The Election Toolkit addresses many of our nation’s most urgent mental health issues such as assistance to veterans, barriers to care, recovery and consumer-oriented services, integration of mental and overall health care and more.

It includes questions for candidates, a sample press release, op-eds, talking points, advocacy tips, email signatures, instructions for a viral petition campaign and ready-to-print signs and banners.

Mental Health America strongly encourages its affiliates and local and national stakeholders to make use of these resources. Together, we can position mental health as an important issue in the election process and ensure that candidates articulate solutions to the critical mental health problems facing our nation. The toolkit is available to MHA affiliates through the affiliate login at www.mentalhealthamerica.net. The public can also take advantage of advocacy tools for contacting candidates at http://takeaction.mentalhealthamerica.net.