Hope Starts With Us Driving Mental Health Innovation Through Advocacy and Community Support Featuring Darcy Gruttadaro and Hannah Wesolowski
Dec 30, 2025
Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer who leads NAMI's policy and grassroots mobilization. Darcy Gruttadaro, Chief Innovation Officer focused on youth and workplace mental health, retiring later this year. They discuss growth in youth programs and campus outreach. They cover major advocacy wins, bipartisan support for mental health policy, 988 progress, and diversifying helpline services.
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NAMI Prioritized Youth And Community Engagement
- NAMI prioritized youth, workplace, cross-cultural engagement, and mental health equity in 2025.
- Darcy highlighted community conversations in Black, Latino, South Asian, and Indigenous groups and connecting traditional programs to new initiatives.
Use Grassroots Pressure To Shape Policy
- Mobilize grassroots advocacy to influence policy and limit harmful changes.
- Hannah noted NAMI advocates sent over 200,000 messages to Congress and held hundreds of meetings to reduce Medicaid harm and secure wins like clozapine access changes.
Mental Health Is A Rare Bipartisan Priority
- Mental health remains a strongly bipartisan issue that preserves federal investments.
- Hannah credited bipartisan caucuses and members sharing personal stories for steady funding despite tough budget climates.