The Georgia Peer Policy Collective (The Collective) is a program of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN).

  

Executive leadership for The Collective is currently provided by the Director of Policy who is responsible for:

- developing policy proposals for The Collective membership

- disseminating information to the legislature, the public, and the media

- acting as a spokesperson for The Collective, in collaboration with the Director of the Network.

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The Advocacy Engagement Coordinator is staffed by a single GMHCN employee who reports to the Director of Communications. The Advocacy Engagement Coordinator is responsible for 

  ✤ administration of the program, 

  ✤ gathering and disseminating policy information to The Collective members, 

  ✤ issuing action alerts, 

  ✤ developing a cadre of outside supporters.

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Regional Chair and Second Chair serve as primary and secondary liaisons between leadership and the Regional Representatives, and assist in executing communication strategies, gathering and disseminating news and information and working with leadership generally to ensure The Collective remains engaged in activities that will forward its mission. 

 

Regional Representatives perform the core work of The Collective, the transmission of information to and from the Capitol to the statewide mental health recovery community.

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Their purpose is to assure that a strong voice of people with lived experience in mental health recovery is heard in mental health policy discussions.

 

The Responsibilities of Regional Representatives include the following:

1. Attend two (2) training sessions (orientation and “Advocacy 101”) via Zoom or in person.
2. Work with The Collective to identify a Chair and Deputy Chair of the representatives to work closely with leadership in the execution of its duties.
3. Actively participate in Collective meetings by listening to others, and contributing to discussions, brainstorming, and sharing ideas.
4. Review and become familiar with information distributed by other members of the Collective.
5. Promote Georgia’s Definition of Recovery and the Guiding Values and Principles (including autonomy and self-directed care at all times) through:

        ✤  personal contacts in local community

        ✤ outreach to policy makers and stakeholders

        ✤ media outreach (using GPPC/GMHCN press releases)

        ✤ engage and communicate with community providers

6. Recruit local citizens to assist in advocacy
7. Establish and maintain communication with local policy makers (introduce them to Peer services)
8. Actively promote GPPC priorities
9. Distribute GPPC policy alerts to local media and leaders
10. Submit monthly report of contacts to GPPC Advocacy Engagement Coordinator
11. Participate in monthly progress meetings via Zoom

 

 

Regular Members of the Georgia Peer Policy Collective are people with lived experience in mental health recovery who desire to positively impact public policy and who subscribe to Georgia’s Definition of Recovery and the Guiding Values and Principles.

 

Associate Members are allies who desire to positively impact public policy and who subscribe to Georgia’s Definition of Recovery and the Guiding Values and Principles .

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NO MEMBER OF ANY STANDING OF THE COLLECTIVE MAY SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE COLLECTIVE OR AS A MEMBER OF THE COLLECTIVE WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR GMHCN.

 

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