There is increasing recognition of the need for civil rights advocacy for people with mental illness, as basic human rights continue to be violated in mental health systems. Relatedly, an elevated call for recovery-oriented care creates new opportunities for psychologists to act as social change agents and advocates for patients in state hospital and community settings. Despite lack of specific preparation and training to take on this role, psychologists’ overall training places them in a unique position to advocate in many ways. This can be for individuals in the system (patients or staff), for the discipline of psychology, as well as acting as advocates for the continued growth of recovery-oriented approaches, more socially just practices in systems of care, and by engaging in public policy transformation. Psychologists, through creating cultural change, can work to advocate for a transformation from a medical model to a recovery-oriented care model, which focuses on building meaningful lives, autonomy, and rights of the individual. We discuss the many ways in which psychologists can act as advocates in state hospitals and community settings via diverse mechanisms, including at a policy level, the challenges that they encounter, and ways to overcome these. Future directions and ways to increase the effectiveness of advocacy efforts are also discussed.

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