Dear Friends,
This year's Mental Health Awareness Month conversation includes all of us.
We all know of someone, or even ourselves, experiencing
fears and anxieties
as we strive to keep our families safe, help our children transition to online learning, and rise to meet the demands of our new “normal.”
For people with pre-existing mental health conditions, the pandemic represents an even bigger crisis as their traditional support systems have been fundamentally disrupted. Many of our clients also have additional sets of challenges, such as housing or health care issues, that will persist long after the immediate threat of COVID-19 disappears.
While some legal protections have been enacted during this crisis, low-income people with mental health disabilities also need
access to reliable legal advice and representation
to help them successfully navigate the intricate web of federal, state, and local policies.
To ensure that a lack of information doesn't stand between our community and their stability, MHAS staff have taken it upon themselves to:
- Team up with our community partners to provide FREE housing rights webinars, such as Fair Housing Protections for People with Disabilities.
- Call current and past clients to inform them of new federal, state, and local benefits for which they may qualify and help them apply for theses benefits.
- Advocate on behalf of families with children with mental health disabilities to ensure that these children continue to receive the additional support they are legally entitled to even in a remote learning context.
Our work would not be possible without your support. Thus, we'd like you to
consider
making a donation
in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month to support our mission of protecting and advancing the rights of low-income people with mental health disabilities during this crisis.
Your contribution will ensure that our clients have the best opportunity of having their rights upheld during and after this pandemic so they can continue to thrive. Thank you for your commitment to our mission and our clients.
Sincerely,
