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Florida 2024 Legislative Session – Mental Health Matters
Every piece of legislation considered by the 2023 Florida Legislature started with just one person speaking up about an issue important to them. Today, as our Central Florida legislators complete their second week of this year’s legislative session, we want to remind each of us that we also have an important role in the process. It is our job to ensure our representatives know where we stand and what we need from them. Our hope is that we are a community that makes our voices heard on matters that are important to us, our neighborhoods, families, and future generations.
If mental health and substance abuse are issues that are important to you, we hope you won’t underestimate the power of your voice in communicating your experiences, beliefs, and opinions to your representatives. There is so much that our elected officials can learn from someone like you, and your unique encounters with issues like behavioral health.
We want to share three simple steps to getting involved today, and help move the needle towards improved behavioral health for our community:
- Write out your message. Take a second to jot down the issues that are important to you and why. Remember, your unique experiences are powerful and important to our representatives and this process. If you have seen firsthand a need for reform or expansion of behavioral health services, tell them about it!
- Find your Senators and Representatives. Use this tool to find the contact information for the Senator or Representative that serves you.
- Visit or call your elected official. Whether in Tallahassee or back at home in their districts, make the effort to see your representative in person. If you can’t, a phone call will do the job! You might be surprised how much of a difference a two-minute phone call can make. Let your passion for certain issues drive you to take action. Make sure your voice is heard!
We know there are many powerful stories in our community. Even if just a few of us can share how we’ve been personally impacted by the issues that matter to us, they can become relevant and important to our Senators and Representatives. It will be compelling stories that impact policy and move our government to make positive changes, this Legislative Session