The Power of Grassroots Advocacy

Change starts with a conversation. And voices from a community shape that conversation and drive it forward, bringing personal experiences and truth to the table.

This is a notion Zoe Frantz, a mental wellbeing advocate whose work is grounded in lived experience, knows well. She is the president and CEO of the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers, a National Council member organization.

Frantz joined us for Real Stories, Real Change: Turning Lived Experience Into Advocacy, our Aug. 27 Wellbeing Wednesdays episode hosted by Brett Beckerson, National Council senior director of public policy and advocacy.

In this powerful conversation, Frantz reflected on how her family’s journey with opioid use disorder has driven her grassroots policy work, underscored the importance of advocacy and showed how voices like hers can spark lasting change.

Here are some key takeaways from the conversation:

1. Advocacy is personal. Access to care through Medicaid expansion saved Frantz’s loved one’s life. It is these stories rooted in lived experience that plant the seeds to change policy and save lives.
2. Coalitions make advocacy stronger. The Indiana Council represents 24 community mental health centers serving 350,000 people and employing more than 15,000 staff. By uniting providers, peers and partners, it’s able to amplify its collective voice.
3. Unexpected messengers matter. Sometimes the most powerful advocates aren’t who you’d expect. Frantz described one police chief’s testimony on the correlation of increased access to mental health services and reduced crime, and how this  captured lawmakers’ attention in ways data alone could not.
4. Pair data with stories. Numbers bring credibility, but pairing data with human experience — whether from clients, providers or law enforcement — makes the case for sustainable investment in mental health.
5. Wellbeing means thriving. True mental wellbeing is more than the absence of illness. It’s about creating systems where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Advocacy is a powerful force for hope and change, but it’s only as powerful as the voices and stories behind it. Ready to make your voice heard? Contact your legislator today, explore our Advocacy Handbook for practical tips or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay informed.