Social justice rests at the heart of the National Mental Health Association. For almost 90 years, NMHA and its affiliates have fought to remove the stigma associated with mental illnesses, educate the public on mental health issues and mental illnesses and advocate on behalf of people with mental illnesses. We have brought consumers, family members and advocates together - locally as well as nationally - to promote mental health and reduce mental illness. NMHA and its affiliate network understand the suffering and wasted potential that comes from social policy that cheats, abuses or neglects vulnerable people.

In one area in particular, NMHA is unique in the nation. To ensure that consumers, families and advocates have a substantial voice in the process of state healthcare reform, for two years, NMHA has held trainings with mental health advocacy coalitions in nearly 40 states. The purpose of the trainings is to educate the coalitions about the issues involved in state healthcare reform as well as some of the basics in coalition building.

Healthcare Reform: A Consumer, Family and Advocate Perspective is a compendium of the training and educational materials written by NMHA staff. It is hoped that through this book and future trainings, consumers, families and advocates will have a strong, substantial voice in this profound and risky restructuring of our healthcare system.

To order a copy of Healthcare Reform: A Consumer, Family and Advocate Perspective, call (800) 969-NMHA.