If you missed our recent Volunteer Connection Call, here’s the heart of it in one place: what we’ve been up to, where we’re headed, and how you (yes, you) can be part of the next chapter.

When we tell fuller stories of families and people living with mental illness— stories that include healing, love, creativity, and purpose — we do more than reduce stigma. We affirm something deeper: that people living with SMIs are not defined their illness, but by who they are and what they continue to give to the world.

Along with so many other things across our government, SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is being dismantled before our eyes. One of the main hurdles in defending its importance is that the public doesn't know what SAMHSA is or does. Dr. Eric Rafla-Yuan, who serves on the Board for The Miles Hall Foundation has written an op-ed describing how SAMHSA touches the lives of every California community.