12 Ways Therapists Can Advocate for Systemic Change in the Mental Health Field
Navigating the complex landscape of mental health requires more than just knowledge; it demands action. This article delves into the crucial ways therapists can become catalysts for systemic change, drawing on the wisdom of seasoned experts in the field. Uncover the strategies for advocating inclusion, addressing root causes, and influencing policies that can lead to real progress.
- Advocate for Jewish Inclusion in Mental Health
- Link Systemic Injustices to Mental Health Outcomes
- Push for Fair Insurance and Policy Changes
- Engage in Policy and Community-Level Advocacy
- Collaborate Across Systems for Client Wellbeing
- Leverage Expertise to Promote Equitable Care
- Address Root Causes of Mental Health Challenges
- Reframe 'Disorders' as Reactions to Oppression
- Drive Policy Change Through Consistent Action
- Amplify Marginalized Voices in Mental Healthcare
- Prioritize Continuous Learning for Informed Advocacy
- Form Advocacy Groups to Influence Policy
Advocate for Jewish Inclusion in Mental Health
Promoting social justice in mental health requires intentional action, not just awareness. When it comes to antisemitism, this means ensuring that Jewish voices are heard, Jewish trauma is recognized, and Jewish identity is included in conversations about oppression and healing. Speaking up in professional spaces is crucial. When antisemitism or Jewish erasure happens--whether in DEI initiatives, training programs, or clinical discussions--it must be challenged. Ask why antisemitism is missing and push for its inclusion in policies, education, and systemic frameworks addressing bias.
Education is another key piece of this work. Many in the field don't understand Jewish identity beyond religion, leading to harmful misconceptions and erasure. Integrating Jewish experiences into cultural competency discussions helps dismantle these biases. As someone teaching CE courses on cultural competence and cultural humility, I emphasize the importance of recognizing Jewish trauma, the impact of intergenerational persecution, and how antisemitism manifests today. Pushing for training programs to address these gaps is essential, as is encouraging colleagues to expand their understanding beyond simplistic narratives.
Advocacy also means actively supporting Jewish clients and colleagues. Jewish clients should have their experiences of antisemitism validated rather than minimized or reframed as political. Similarly, Jewish mental health professionals are increasingly encountering hostility and exclusion. Being an ally means recognizing these challenges and addressing bias in professional spaces. This also extends to conferences and organizations that feature keynote speakers with histories of antisemitic rhetoric. Speaking up against their inclusion is necessary--platforming those who spread hate contradicts the ethical foundations of mental health.
Institutions must do better. Licensing boards, organizations, and academic programs need to integrate Jewish identity and antisemitism into cultural competency frameworks. Advocacy at this level ensures systemic change rather than placing the burden solely on Jewish professionals. Social justice cannot selectively exclude certain communities. If the mental health field is truly committed to inclusivity and ethical care, addressing antisemitism is not optional--it's essential.
Link Systemic Injustices to Mental Health Outcomes
Leverage your professional expertise and credibility to influence policy and public discourse--whether by testifying at legislative hearings, collaborating with advocacy organizations, or speaking out through professional associations. By concretely linking systemic injustices to mental health challenges and offering evidence-based insights, therapists help policymakers and the broader community see how unjust structures perpetuate psychological harm.
For example, you could present hard research showing how individuals living in segregated or under-resourced neighborhoods experience higher rates of mental anguish, depression, anxiety, and trauma due to limited access to healthcare, food insecurity, and exposure to community violence. This real-world evidence makes it harder for decision-makers and the public to dismiss the connection between systemic inequities and mental health needs, fueling policy changes that promote social justice and equity.
Push for Fair Insurance and Policy Changes
One of the most powerful ways licensed therapists can push for real change in the mental health field is by advocating for better policies and fairer insurance coverage. For example, educating clients about their rights under laws like the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act can help them push back when insurance companies try to limit their coverage. As the saying goes, "Knowledge is power," and when clients understand their rights, they're in a stronger position to demand fair treatment.
Therapists can also get involved in shaping mental health policy by supporting legislation that increases funding for services, especially for communities that often struggle to access care. A practical way to do this is by joining professional organizations that lobby for higher insurance reimbursement rates--because when mental health providers are fairly compensated, more of them can afford to accept insurance, making therapy accessible to more people.
Beyond policy, therapists can work toward systemic change in everyday practice. This might mean addressing the social factors that impact mental health, like poverty and discrimination, or making sure their approach is inclusive and culturally responsive. Getting involved in community events, leading workshops, or even using social media to spread awareness can also help break the stigma around mental health.
As mental health advocate Bebe Moore Campbell once said, "Stigma is one of the most significant barriers to mental health care." Whether through one-on-one advocacy with clients or bigger efforts like policy reform, therapists have the power to make the mental health system fairer and more accessible for everyone.
Engage in Policy and Community-Level Advocacy
One key piece of advice for licensed clinical therapists advocating for systemic change in the mental health field is to actively engage in policy and community-level advocacy. Beyond individual client work, therapists have unique insights into systemic barriers--such as inadequate access to care, insurance limitations, and disparities affecting marginalized communities. By joining professional organizations, participating in policy discussions, and collaborating with advocacy groups, therapists can push for legislative changes that improve mental health access and equity. Small actions, like contacting policymakers, contributing to research, or supporting mental health initiatives, can collectively drive significant change.
Therapists can also use their voices to promote social justice and equity by integrating advocacy into their daily practice. This includes educating clients about their rights, addressing cultural biases in therapy, and using social media, public speaking, or writing to raise awareness about mental health disparities. Additionally, therapists can challenge stigma by normalizing conversations about mental health in underserved communities and supporting initiatives that reduce barriers to care. By leveraging their expertise, therapists can create a broader impact, ensuring that mental health services become more inclusive, accessible, and equitable for all.
Collaborate Across Systems for Client Wellbeing
When it comes to treating clients from a systemic perspective, we therapists can help level playing fields by getting involved in the places and spaces in which our clients grow. This means collaboration with all cultural, social, spiritual, medical, and relational systems that touch or influence the lives of each of our clients. As therapists, we must challenge ourselves to explore the entire space, place, past, present, and future, of the lives and families and communities clients bring into the room. This means calling school counselors and teachers, working with family doctors, joining school boards, talking at community centers and shelters. People live, work, play, rest, and love in relational worlds of families and communities. Identity and culture are so much a part of what either helps and supports, or holds down and controls, a person. If we don't understand the broader context of our clients and their daily lives, how can we ever expect to truly know them, to truly help them heal? Big picture pattern seeking and understanding is the name of the game, to be a truly systemic therapist. It takes more time and work, but it's worth it.
Leverage Expertise to Promote Equitable Care
Clinical therapists who have undergone training have a great responsibility to promote system change in mental health by using their collective credibility and expertise to push for changes in policy and to shape public discourse.
Licensed clinical therapists can exert their influence at various levels using their voices by promoting social equity and justice through engaging in multi-level advocacy.
Educate and Empower Clients - Incorporate topics on systemic issues (e.g., access to treatment, discrimination, socioeconomic disparities) into sessions as applicable and assist clients in understanding and navigating these obstacles.
Join or Support Advocacy Groups - Volunteer for professional groups (e.g., APA, NASW) that advocate legislative reforms in funding mental health services, licensure, and policy on equitable treatment.
Public Education and Awareness - Engage in blogs, social media, podcasts, or public speaking to counter stigma, promote culturally competent care, and give voice to marginalized communities.
Policy Advocacy - Write op-eds, call legislators, and work with community leaders to advocate for mental health policies that advance accessibility, affordability, and inclusivity.
Changing Institutions - Organize in workplaces and clinical institutions for anti-racist training, diverse staffing practices, and trauma-informed care.
Therapists occupy a special position as both direct service providers and thought leaders--by combining clinical acumen and advocacy, they can work to deconstruct systemic injustices and construct a more equitable mental health system.
Address Root Causes of Mental Health Challenges
Therapists have a unique power to drive systemic change--use it. Start by advocating for policies that expand access to mental health care, especially for underserved communities. Partner with grassroots organizations, testify at hearings and train peers in cultural humility. But most importantly, amplify the voices of those most affected by inequities. Real change happens when we move beyond individual care and address the systems that perpetuate harm.
Reframe 'Disorders' as Reactions to Oppression
While I firmly believe that we need dramatic, systemic change in the mental health field, I also think that we can use our voices as therapists to promote social justice and equity by understanding that so much of what we are taught are "disorders" are reactions to oppressive systems that are not built for mental health.
As a clinical psychologist, I was trained to focus on the individual, rather than the system. Luckily, because I was interested in working with children and families, I eventually was exposed to more training around the system and environment and their effect on the individual. Through my own interest in understanding inequity and social justice, as well as working on untangling ableism and building anti-racism into my work, I was able to further my understanding and knowledge of just how dramatically our systems of power impact the individual.
I find it incredibly helpful to support my clients toward making changes in their individual lives but to also help them understand how systems and barriers have been impacting them in order to help reduce their experience of shame and internalization of the sole responsibility of their challenges. So often, we need to understand that many things are true in a situation and that while our clients need to take responsibility for effecting change, it is incredibly healing to understand that they are not solely responsible for their struggles and situations.
Drive Policy Change Through Consistent Action
What is one piece of advice you would give to licensed clinical therapists about advocating for systemic change in the mental health field?
Use your expertise to push for policy changes--join professional organizations, engage with legislators, and educate the public on systemic barriers like access to care and insurance limitations. Advocacy doesn't have to be overwhelming; small, consistent efforts, like speaking at local events or writing op-eds, can drive meaningful change.
How can therapists use their voices to promote social justice and equity?
Integrate social justice into your work by advocating for equitable policies, challenging biases in the mental health system, and ensuring culturally competent care. Use your platform--whether through community outreach, professional networks, or social media--to amplify marginalized voices and push for systemic change. Small, consistent actions lead to lasting impact.
Amplify Marginalized Voices in Mental Healthcare
One key piece of advice for advocating for systemic change is to actively use your voice in policy discussions and professional forums. By sharing insights about the challenges your patients face, you can help drive meaningful improvements in mental health care, especially regarding accessibility and affordability. Therapists can also promote social justice by advocating for marginalized communities, ensuring culturally competent care, and pushing for policies that create equitable access to mental health services. Your voice, both in and out of the therapy room, is essential in shaping a fairer, more inclusive mental health system. In short, therapists have the power to influence systemic change and promote social equity by standing up for better care and advocating for those who need it most.
Prioritize Continuous Learning for Informed Advocacy
I think it's crucial to educate myself continuously. I make it a priority to stay informed about social justice issues and their intersection with mental health. I attend workshops, read research, and engage in conversations with colleagues from diverse backgrounds. This ongoing learning helps me advocate from a place of informed understanding.
Form Advocacy Groups to Influence Policy
Therapists can play a powerful role in advocating for systemic change within the mental health field by using their platforms to highlight the gaps in services and accessibility. In my experience, being vocal about the lack of resources for underserved communities is essential. One impactful way I have seen therapists push for change is by joining or forming advocacy groups to influence policy. This can be as simple as supporting mental health initiatives that promote affordable care for marginalized populations. Working directly with lawmakers or community organizations can bring visibility to the inequities and start the necessary conversations. For therapists, getting involved in these initiatives can lead to meaningful changes in how mental health services are delivered, especially for underserved groups. If you want more advice on how to get started or further resources, feel free to reach out!
