Why Do We Need Advocacy Around Mental Health?
Mental health is affected by more than just access to behavioral health services. Mental health challenges often relate to other aspects of our lives, such as work, school, or housing. Many of the obstacles we may face impact our mental health and result from our elected officials' public policy decisions. Policies at the local, county, state, and federal levels determine how, when, and which communities get the resources they need.
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Do you know who is on your ballot and what measures will be voted on this November? Check here.
Find your polling place here.
Learn about the key issues that impact mental health here.
Want to vote by mail? Find one-time and permanent vote by mail applications here. They are organized by county.
NAMI IL FY24 Policy Platform Find Your Legislator
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There is a severe shortage of both facilities and providers of behavioral health services in Illinois. For every 10,000 residents in Illinois, there are only about 14 behavioral health care professionals. Our legislators are the people with the power to do something about it, and it is our job as voters to advocate for change.
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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. NAMI works with policymakers to advance priority issues and ensure that the voices of people affected by mental illness are considered in policymaking.
VOTING MATTERS!
Learn About My Legislators
Do you know who your representatives are? Click the link below to find a list of yours by entering the address you registered to vote with. Click the picture above to learn more.
NAMI Policy Priorities
Public policy affects the lives of people living with mental health challenges and their loved ones. Changes in policy can improve mental health and access to care. Click the picture above to learn more.
#Vote4MentalHealth
Mental health is on the ballot and this NAMI campaign was created to bring awareness to how the issues we care about intersect with our mental health. Click the picture above to learn more.
Advocacy Media
