We challenge the status quo
ISPS-US’s mission is to promote psychological and social approaches to states of mind often called “psychosis,” which often means challenging the biological-reductionistic status quo of mental health care as normal. ISPS-US aims to effect systemic change, within arenas such as the mental health system, education system, media, and systems influencing public policy. Our Advocacy Committee works in partnership with our Executive Committee to advance ISPS-US’s advocacy efforts and engage our passionate membership in collective action.
Learn more about ISPS-US Values and Principles.
Advocacy News
The national conversation about mental health policy is at a critical moment. Across the United States, proposed federal budget cuts and policy changes threaten access to the community-based services that help people build meaningful lives beyond psychiatric hospitals and the criminal legal system.
The Power Coalition, co-led by longtime mental health advocate and former SAMHSA senior official Paolo del Vecchio, has launched a national petition calling on Congress to protect recovery-oriented mental health and substance use services.
ISPS-US is deeply committed to mental health approaches that prioritize human dignity, recognize lived experience as expertise, and expand choices for people seeking recovery. To support this mission, we have officially submitted a testimony letter to Massachusetts legislative leadership in strong support of two vital bills: S.1389/H.5229 (An Act Modernizing the Six Fundamental Rights) and S.1383/H.5231 (An Act Establishing Peer Respites Throughout the Commonwealth).
Veterans deserve full transparency, real choice, and meaningful participation in decisions about their mental health care.
Right now, Congress has the opportunity to strengthen those rights through the Written Informed Consent Act (H.R. 4837 / S. 3314). This legislation affirms a basic ethical principle: that veterans should receive clear, comprehensive information about psychiatric medications, including potential risks, and be supported in collaborative decision-making about their treatment.
ISPS-US has submitted the open letter below to members of the U.S. House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. We are sharing it publicly to invite you to join us in this effort. We encourage you to read the letter and then contact your own representatives to urge their support for the Written Informed Consent Act.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has released a draft position statement on seclusion and restraint and is inviting public comment through October 23, 2025 (11:59pm EST).
We want to highlight a powerful new initiative, Abolish Forced Psychiatry, which brings together the voices of activists, psychiatric survivors, professionals, and family members to call for the abolition of involuntary psychiatric and psychological interventions, including forced hospitalization and medication, and for the establishment of voluntary, community-rooted supports. It demands an end to the discrimination, criminalization, and carceral responses so often faced by people in distress, while calling us to recognize and address the social roots of suffering.
Interested in taking part in our advocacy efforts? If you’re not already a member, join ISPS-US.
