Anyone with personal experience of mental illness or a relative can become a mental health advocate by working on a small scale to achieve proper treatment and equity. Professionals from diverse fields such as psychology, law, and social work can also pursue a career in this field. The skill sets required for different tasks bearing this title are discussed.
Mental health advocacy is divided into personal and professional fields and can require a lot of training or very little. In a sense, anyone with a mental health issue or a relative of that person can become a mental health advocate by working on a small scale to achieve proper treatment and equity. People in diverse fields such as psychology, law, social work or with a different educational focus can also pursue a career in this profession. There is a certain degree of overlap, because private or non-profit organizations often educate individuals with mental illness to be better advocates, teaching them about their rights.
A personal diagnosis of mental illness is a chance to become a mental health advocate. All people with mental illness and many of their family members have this opportunity. They enter a field where they have to learn how to request proper care, negotiate with insurance or government agencies, and continue to demand that they be treated with dignity. Recovering individuals may re-enter the workforce and may need to address discrimination.
Many people with mental illness are not very good advocates for themselves. It can be difficult to demand rights with extreme impairments to cognition or mood. The marriage between professional and individual defense occurs at this point. Professional agencies can fight for changes in laws that demand fair treatment and access to care that the individual is not able to fight for. They can also train individuals on their legal rights, equipping them with knowledge that aids in successful self-defense.
These professionals come from diverse backgrounds. To become a mental health advocate at this level, people could be social workers, counselors, psychologists or psychiatrists. Lobbyists and lawyers can also practice in this field. People with mental illness can have diverse educational experiences, but they can also be powerful professional advocates because of their direct knowledge.
The ways in which one can become a mental health advocate are therefore uniquely diverse. Many people enter this field by obtaining first degrees. Advice for those who are interested in participating in this work depends on your specific educational focus.
For example, if a person specializes in a field such as social work, taking classes in macro practice, mental health and policy analysis provides better preparation. An attorney who wants to become a mental health advocate should look for electives that emphasize mediation or laws related to physical and mental health and disability. If courses like this are not available, it is recommended to take classes outside of the main course or volunteer at a law firm.
Listing all major roads or potential roads for this job is probably not feasible. It may be more helpful to understand the skills required for different tasks bearing this title. The following skill sets can help people better understand what it might take to become a mental health advocate with the following specialties:
Family and self-advocacy – knowledge of current rights to mental health and health care, understanding of disability laws, and possession of interpersonal skills
Educator – Understanding of mental illness, diagnosis and treatment, awareness of laws relating to mental illness and rights, counseling or therapy skills, ability to use psychoeducation in individual and group settings
Lobbyist – Thorough understanding of public policy and law related to mental health, ability to practice policy analysis, strong writing and speaking skills, and ideally professional training in law or social work
Advocate – Legal or social work credentials, counseling and mediation skills, and understanding of policies affecting the mentally ill
Administrator – Business skills, community organizing or macro practice training and understanding of the issues the organization addresses.
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