NAMI Smarts For Advocacy helps give a voice to the one in four people affected by mental illness.
NAMI Tallahassee has an active NAMI Smarts for Advocacy committee which collaborates with committees from other local affiliates in Florida. The goal of this collaboration is to offer a united voice to the state legislature on a focused number of mental health issues each year. NAMI Smarts for Advocacy training is offered regularly for NAMI members who wish to join the committee.
This is a hands-on advocacy training program that helps people living with mental illness, friends and family transform their passion and lived experience into skillful grassroots advocacy.
It is designed as a series of three 1-2 hour workshops or modules or as a single full-day training that develop the following skills:
- Telling a compelling story that is inspiring and makes an “ask” in 90 seconds
- Writing an effective email, making an elevator speech and making an impactful phone call
- Orchestrating a successful meeting with an elected official
The unique step-by-step, skill-building design of NAMI Smarts for Advocacy is effective with a wide range of participants, including those who are new to advocacy as well as individuals with years of experience.
Participants routinely share that they’ve never been able to condense their story or made a clear “ask,” but with NAMI Smarts, they are now able to.
Lobbyists who represent NAMI State Organizations or mental health coalitions also love this program—they see participants come out confident and able to share their story in a way that moves policymakers.
When you become a member of NAMI Tallahassee, you join the local affiliate, the national organization, and NAMI Florida and you will receive the national magazine of NAMI, The Advocate, quarterly.
Contact us at NAMI-Tallahassee to find out how you can become an Advocate.
