Advocacy

The world is in turmoil right now. The state of our nation is dire and fragile. It can feel impossible to know how to help others, while also trying to keep our own mental health stable.

Here are some resources for ways to take action and stay involved:

Tips to help with your mental health:

1. Let out your emotions: cry, scream, run, paint, write, talk to people

2. Take time away from your phone and the need to look at news for at least a little bit each day

3. Look at ways you can help others, volunteer, or just be a good friend

4. Do something fun! Read, crochet, go outside, exercise, do a puzzle, cook something delicious, whatever is fun for you! Do a crossword! (Skip to the bottom to see the one I created!)

5. Protect yourself: Get or renew your passport, secure birth control, make plans for continued gender-affirming care

a. The CDC data sheets on birth control options have been saved here

6. Vote with your dollars:

List of companies and where they stand with their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs

List of BIPOC, LGBTQ owned companies

List of 300+ Black-Owned Bookstores in US and Worldwide

Find ways to help:

Follow me on Bluesky and Threads for the latest! (the kinder versions of Twitter/X)

Washington state current issues:

(jump to National current issues)

WA is working on improving insurance for mental health!

Tell your legislators that this bill needs a rules pull, here is sample language:

Dear Representative (use last name from email addresses above),

My name is __________ and I am a (professional credentials). I’m writing to respectfully request a Rules pull for House Bill 1432, which improves access for mental health care.

This bill will introduce new rules for health insurance regarding mental health and substance use treatment. It will clarify what counts as mental health care and require insurance companies to use standard medical practices when deciding on coverage requests. It will also ensure that mental health and substance use benefits are as good as other medical benefits. This will ensure that providers, not insurance carriers, dictate the type of treatment and its necessary length.

(Insert personal story here, if applicable)

Thank you for your consideration,

Name/Credentials

https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/1432

Let your WA legislators know this bill needs to be added to the calendar floor; it prohibits non-compete agreements in the mental health field:

https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=1155&Year=2025&Initiative=false

WA has a bill to allow psychologists to prescribe medicine, with additional training and certification:

https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=5112&Year=2025&Initiative=false

Tell WA legislators that we need transparency and parity in the way insurances pay us and contract with us! Insurances pay us an average of 61% of our rate and we don't even know that until after we have signed the contract with us! Let's change this!

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=1589&Year=2025&Initiative=false

Washington Mental Health Counselors Association is sponsoring a bill to allow associate level therapists access to the UW Heal-WA database of mental health information and studies.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1190&Year=2025&Initiative=false

Washington State is considering legislation to improve access for mental health supervisors. Share your thoughts or write in for or against, here:

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/policyreview/

Washington state senate is asking for state funding for victims of crimes, as the US congress seems likely to remove the VOCA (Victims of Crimes Act), which funds domestic violence and sexual assault survivor programs.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=5362&Year=2025&Initiative=false

Washington state is trying to ban gender-affirming care for youth. Gender-affirming care is life-saving care.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/1038

Washington state congress is considering creating universal healthcare:

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=8004&Year=2025&Initiative=false

National current issues:

Tell your legislators to protect the Department of Education!

Congress is considering legislation to remove access to Telehealth - online therapy!

Send an email to your representatives here:

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/preserving-telehealth-3/

Email your legislators to protect student activists!

Tell your congress members to protect funding for domestic violence survivors: