Advocacy Programs

Mental Health America Virginia (MHAV)
NAMI Virginia
Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy (VOPA)
Virginia Association for Community Services Boards (VACSB)
Virginia Organization of Consumers Asserting Leadership (VOCAL)
Virginia Psychosocial Rehabilitation Association (VAPRA)
VOCAL Network
See also MH Reform

Mental Health America Virginia

The Mental Health America Virginia, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, advocacy organization which is affiliated with the National Mental Health Association. Their mission is to promote mental health, develop services to prevent mental illness and assure the proper care and treatment of mentally ill children and adults.

3212 Cutshaw Ave., Suite 315
Richmond, VA 23230
Phone: 804-257-5591 Toll Free: 1-866-400-6428
E-mail: info@mhav.org
Web site: http://www.mhav.org/

NAMI Virginia

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Virginia maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals.

Mira Signer, Executive Director
P.O. Box 8260
Richmond, VA 23226
Phone: 804-285-8264 Fax: 804-285-8464
Helpline: (888) 486-8264
E-mail: namiva@comcast.net
Web site: www.NAMIVirginia.org

Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy (VOPA)

The Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy (VOPA) helps with disability-related problems like abuse, neglect, and discrimination. They also help people with disabilities obtain services and treatment. Individuals with problems, targeted in VOPA’s program goals, may also receive advocacy services and/or legal representation. VOPA’s mission is: “Through zealous and effective advocacy and legal representation to: protect and advance legal, human, and civil rights of persons with disabilities; combat and prevent abuse, neglect, and discrimination; and promote independence, choice, and self-determination by persons with disabilities.”

1910 Byrd Avenue, Suite 5
Richmond, VA 23230
Phone: 804-225-2042 (Voice/TTY) Toll-free: 800-552-3962 (Voice/TTY)
Email: generalvopa@vopa.virginia.gov
Web site: www.vopa.state.va.us

Virginia Association of Community Services Boards (VACSB)

VACSB provides professional development, leadership training, and education for board members, staff, consumers, advocates, and the general public. They also develop public information focused on increasing community awareness of community-based mental health, mental retardation, substance abuse and prevention services. The VACSB provides administrative support including research and technical assistance to assist CSBs in operations and provision of services. They provide public policy and advocacy through liaison activities with advocacy and consumer groups, state and federal agencies, local governments, state legislature, and executive branches.

Mary Ann Bergeron, Executive Director
10128-B West Broad Street
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060
Phone: 804-330-3141 Fax : 804-330-3611
Email: vacsb@vacsb.org
Web site: www.vacsb.org

Virginia Organization of Consumers Asserting Leadership (VOCAL) and VOCAL Network

VOCAL’s mission is to develop a diverse statewide coalition of consumers and consumer-run programs united to provide a voice for individual empowerment, and to foster a consumer-driven mental health system.

Will Gallik, Interim Executive Director
P.O. Box 1248
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: 804-343-1777 Toll-free: 877-862-5638 (VOCLNET)
Email: network@vocalvirginia.org
Web site: www.vocalvirginia.org

Virginia Psychosocial Rehabilitation Association (VAPRA)

The purpose of United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA, formerly IAPSRS) is to help advance the role, scope, and quality of services designed to facilitate the community readjustment of people with psychiatric disabilities. VAPRA is the Virginia chapter.

Justin Sheets, VAPRA President
c/o The Broad Street Center
4118 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230
Phone: 804-819-1095 Fax: 804-819-1044
Email: sheetsj@rbha.org
www.vapra.org
National Web site: www.uspra.org

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