Help MHAS provide free legal services to low-income folks with mental health disabilities

Make a Gift During Mental Health Awareness Month

In March 2023, MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving launched an Open Grant Call for small to mid-sized community-focused organizations whose explicit purpose is to advance the voices and opportunities of individuals and families of meager or modest means who have been met with discrimination and other systemic obstacles. The Open Call received 6,353 applications from nonprofit organizations across the country. Yield Giving recently announced that MHAS is one of 361 top-rated nonprofit organizations in the country, as judged by both peers and experts, making a positive impact, and working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States.

GIVING DURING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Every May, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month to destigmatize mental illness, promote overall wellness, and advocate for access to mental health resources and support. Please consider making a gift this month to support the critical legal services that MHAS provides to people with mental health disabilities. Continue reading below to learn more about our work!

THE PROBLEM
People living with mental illness often face stigma, discrimination, and a lack of adequate mental health resources and support. This creates additional challenges and barriers to stable housing, employment, income, and education. Here are some examples of how mental health impacts our communities:

• In California, 1 in 4 people experiencing homelessness have a severe mental health condition.
• 1 in 4 people with a serious mental illness have been arrested by the police at some point in their lifetime.
• 7 in 10 youth in the juvenile justice system have a mental health condition.
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6–17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
• Of the 1,562,000 adults in California who did not receive needed mental health care in 2020, 35.3% did not because of cost.

HOW MHAS ADDRESSES THESE ISSUES
The attorneys and other advocates at Mental Health Advocacy Services serve as a critical resource for folks living will mental illness by helping them understand and assert their legal rights. Through MHAS' free legal advice and counsel, low-income folks and their families can navigate complex legal systems and procedures to ensure that they have access to the services that they need to live with dignity and stability.

MHAS' team provides free legal assistance and representation in the areas of:

• HOUSING by fighting housing discrimination, obtaining reasonable accommodations, preventing evictions, increasing housing subsidies, and providing community presentations on tenant protections.
• EXPUNGEMENT of criminal records for folks who have been involved with the criminal justice system and now face barriers to employment and housing.
• PUBLIC BENEFITS so that folks have the financial resources to cover their basic needs.
• SPECIAL EDUCATION to ensure that children and youth with mental health disabilities receive the support and services they need to succeed academically.
• AND MORE!

OUR PARTNERS
Mental Health Advocacy Services partners with mental and physical health care providers, social service providers, and other legal aid organizations and community-based organizations to serve our clients more holistically. Once a provider identifies a legal need, a warm referral is made to an MHAS attorney. MHAS advocates often meet with clients in these same community spaces that they trust.

RECENT SUCCESS STORIES

Thank you in advance for supporting our mission through your donation!