Each year between January and May, our inspiring Volunteer Advocates gather at Advocacy Action Day events across the country. Formerly known as State Capitol Days, these AFSP events are a unique opportunity for suicide prevention advocates to meet with local officials, explain why our mission is so urgent, and outline concrete legislative action that can help save lives. When it comes to AFSP's public policy priorities for mental health and suicide prevention, we can all take action.
In a Volunteer Spotlight story for our 2024 Annual Report, Volunteer Advocate and suicide loss survivor Dr. Rick Townsend shared his experience attending Florida's 2023 Advocacy Action Day:
"When I spoke at Florida’s Behavioral Health Day, I talked about the numbers of Floridians who’d died. Maybe it was the Veteran you thanked for their service; maybe the police officer you saw running toward danger. Maybe it was the physician resident you saw in the ER, or the grandfather who was alone. Maybe it was the construction worker, the dentist, or the teenager. Those of us who are survivors of suicide loss know how each death impacts so many others. The more we advocate and speak from personal experience, the more we can inspire change."
Rick is one of over 55,000 AFSP Volunteer Advocates making a difference through advocacy and public policy efforts.As that number continues to grow, so does our impact. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of people like you, state bills have been enacted that:
But there's still work to be done… and you can play a part in making a BIG difference.
At the link below, you can register for an Advocacy Action Day event near you. Events are still being finalized and added to the list, so if you don't see an event listed for your state, make sure to reach out to your local AFSP chapter for more information.
