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I believe it is very important for mental health consumers to vote. It is the way to diminish stigma and improve our lives. Just as work is part of treatment and recovery, so is political consciousness. Political consciousness can be a part of the recovery process. The purpose of the Mental Health Voter Empowerment Project (MHVEP) is to educate and empower mental health consumers in the political process so that we may exercise our right to register and to vote and to engage in the political process.

Politicians listen to us when we vote. Special Interest Groups vote and lobby because they want to protect their interests. We must protect our interests. We need to elect people who are responsive to our needs. Mental health consumers can form a significant voting block so politicians will list to us. Numbers count. Just like women, African Americans, and the gay community we can come out of the closet and help lessen the stigma and prejudice that engulf us instead of hiding within our illnesses and being ashamed because we have a mental illness. We can teach the world that mental illness is a treatable disease, even more so than heart disease or cancer. If mental illness is put on an equal footing with physical illness, besides being cost effective, people will come for treatment, the stigma will be diminished and as an individual heals so will our society. The concerns of our special interest group need to be addressed more than ever before.

Since the tragic Sept.11th attack many people are experiencing fear and distress. There is a new and ever-growing need for widespread mental health services. Old mental health issues like insurance parity, incarceration of the mentally ill, cost of living adjustment for mental health workers, and the homelessness of many mentally ill have not disappeared and should not be overlooked. The world has changed and less money is available to assist individuals suffering from chronic and persistent mental illness. Nevertheless, we must not let our issues and concerns be forgotten. We must empower ourselves politically and we must organize.

Ken Steele (1948-2000), founder of both MHVEP and New York City Voices, said "one person cannot do it alone." The antidote to stigma and discrimination has a name: "The VOTE."

With the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 it became possible to increase the number of eligible citizens to vote. Disability agencies have supported our efforts and made it possible for mental health agencies to register voters on site (e.g. clubhouses, mental health housing etc.) With the invaluable assistance of Celia Brown, Director of Peer Specialist Services and Ron Bassman, Coordinator of Self-Help Projects for the Office of Mental Health it is possible to visit state hospitals and other agencies where there are many unregistered consumer voters.

We are starting a pilot project to train consumers to register other consumers. There will be a six-hour training regarding voter registration. Then we will go out to agencies four hours every other week. Here is my vision: one vote at a time, inch by inch, row by row we are going to make our garden grow. I see a garden of mental health consumers voting and being politically aware. Every vote counts. It begins with you and me.