Social Justice Advocacy in Mental Health Services: Consumer, Community, Training, and Policy Perspectives

This article addresses important aspects of and strategies for social justice advocacy in mental health care across consumer, community, educational, and policy domains. Social justice advocacy is intentional and sustained action intended to influence public policy outcomes, with and/or on behalf of a vulnerable individual, group, community, or the public at large. The paper presents a series of policy and advocacy levels of change, which may be used to promote social justice among individuals with mental health disorders with an emphasis on how psychologists can be valuable in these efforts. These social justice advocacy approaches are presented in a 3-level bio/socioecological framework at the micro, meso, and macro levels based on Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical model.