Become a Lay Mental Health Advocate

Learn the fundamentals of supporting individuals navigating mental health challenges and their family members through LMHA’s eight-week online advocacy workshop. It is designed for community volunteers to examine how social determinants of health and racism shape mental health outcomes in marginalized communities.

Workshops are taught by doctors, clinicians, and social workers to prepare participants to work one-on-one with people managing their mental wellness.

​

What You Will Learn

• Examine how social determinants of health, racism, homelessness, and incarceration shape mental health outcomes and contribute to health disparities.

• Build a foundational understanding of stress and loneliness; depression, anxiety, and suicide; and adverse childhood experiences and PTSD.

• Explore how intimate partner violence and social media can affect individuals, families, and communities.

• Understand the principles of bystander intervention and the role faith communities can play in supporting mental wellness.

• Practice providing compassionate emotional support, identifying helpful resources, and helping health-seekers communicate with healthcare providers.

• Develop practical advocacy skills for appointment scheduling, condition monitoring, and follow-up care while gaining confidence in supporting people within your community.

​

After the Workshop

After completing the workshop, participants may choose to join the LMHA advocate network and be paired with a community member seeking support. Matched advocates can offer compassionate support, help identify useful resources, and empower health-seekers to communicate their needs and advocate for themselves in healthcare settings.​​​​​

​

Choose Your Workshop Format

Select the learning experience that works best for you.