Advocacy Day

We are so excited to announce the dates for our 2026 NAMI Massachusetts Advocacy Days from April 7–9! This annual event brings together hundreds of our supporters from across the Commonwealth to raise their voices for mental health and advocate for stronger mental health policies. Registration has closed.

On Wednesday, January 28, Governor Healey released her FY27 budget recommendation, a $62.8 billion proposal representing a 1.1% increase over FY26. The budget allocates $1.32 billion to the Department of Mental Health (DMH), level funding compared to FY26. While this reflects no nominal change, it effectively amounts to a cut when adjusted for inflation.

NAMI Mass has put together lists of our budget priorities that we are sharing with legislators and advocating for during Advocacy Days. Additionally, we are advocating for our list of legislative priorities, that we select at the beginning of each 2-year legislative cycle. We have included one-pagers below that explain our priorities and can be used for advocacy. If you have any questions about our priorities, please email policy@namimass.org.

Abigail V. Poole, Esq, joined PLAN of MA & RI as In-House Counsel in 2025. Attorney Poole brings with her a decade of experience in compassionately assisting individuals and families in the area of estate planning, elder law, probate and trust administration while in private practice

Attorney Poole is a past president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Massachusetts Chapter (MassNAELA), and remains an active member of MassNAELA’s Special Needs and Disability Steering Committee and Membership Committee. Attorney Poole received the MassNAELA Member of the Year Award in 2021 and the President’s Award in 2024. Attorney Poole was also recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2021 – 2024.

Attorney Poole earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology cum laude from Mount Holyoke College and her Juris Doctor from New England Law|Boston.

The afternoon session will feature a candid conversation about the current realities facing community-based services, including reduced investment and growing challenges to hard-won progress and community integration. Panelists will share practical strategies for advocacy, protecting existing gains, and sustaining hope while continuing to push forward.

Ann E. Lynch has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection and Civil Rights Divisions at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) since 2011.  In this position, she enforces the Commonwealth’s consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws, including through the investigation and litigation of fair housing cases, which often involve discrimination against people with disabilities.

Currently, she also serves as the AGO’s Disability Rights Coordinator.  In this role, she sits on councils and commissions for the AGO, including the Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities and the Developmental Disabilities Council; participates in disability-related policy work within the AGO; coordinates and provides technical support for disability-related intakes and cases; develops strategic litigation to address discrimination against folks with disabilities; and organizes internal and external outreach and education related to disability rights.  Additionally, she facilitates the receipt of community feedback from disability-rights advocates through the AGO’s Disability Rights Advisory Committee.

Previously, she represented survivors of domestic violence at Western Massachusetts Legal Services and clerked for the Massachusetts Superior Court.  She is a graduate of Smith College and Northeastern University School of Law and a resident of western Massachusetts.

Steven J. Schwartz is Special Counsel, and former Executive Director and Legal Director of the Center for Public Representation in Easthampton, Massachusetts.  He has practiced disability and civil rights law since 1972.  Mr. Schwartz has extensive experience litigating class action cases related to the reform and development of community services systems for persons with disabilities, as well as civil rights damage cases for institutionalized persons.  He currently is litigating seven community integration class action cases in Alabama, Kansas, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, and Massachusetts, as well as supporting disability organizations who are overseeing implementation of similar cases in eight other states.  In response to the recent federal attack on disability rights and services, he has organized a rapid response team of experienced litigators to protect critical laws, rules and programs that allow people with disabilities to remain in their home communities.  Mr. Schwartz has authored a number of law review articles related to issues affecting the rights of persons with disabilities and has testified before Congress on several occasions.  He has been on the faculty of the Harvard and Western New England Law Schools. Mr. Schwartz also provides litigation support and technical assistance to attorneys throughout the United States on  disability issues.

Keith Scott is currently the Vice President of Peer Support and Self-Advocacy at Advocates, a private, non-profit human services agency in eastern Massachusetts. Keith has worked at Advocates since 1989 in a variety of positions including:  direct care counselor, group home manager, cluster director, clinical director,  Director of Recovery and Peer Support, and, most recently, as Vice President of Peer Support and Self-Advocacy, overseeing all non-clinical supports and responsible for the oversight of human rights for the entire agency. Keith was originally hired for his psychiatric lived experience and has been a life-long user of psychiatric services, both voluntarily and involuntarily, and in his current role is responsible for the Peer Specialist Team, the team of Recovery Coaches and all human rights related-issues.

Keith has been certified as both a Peer Specialist and a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner and has been a member of the Advocates’ community as it has grown from a small residential agency to today’s large, multi- service organization serving seventy cities and towns with over 2700 employees. Keith is passionate about the rights of people living with mental and emotional health difficulties, developmental and intellectual challenges, brain injuries and autism. He has worked to create environments that support the autonomy of people, amplify their voices, advocate for their rights and provide access to information and resources, particularly those resources available outside of the multiple systems in which Advocates operates. Keith graduated with a B.S. from Springfield College in 1998.

Meet directly with your State Representative to share your story and advocate for key mental health priorities. These legislator meetings are the heart of our advocacy efforts, and we will provide you with more information about our policy asks soon. Registration has closed.

Meet directly with your State Senator to share your story and advocate for key mental health priorities. These legislator meetings are the heart of our advocacy efforts, and we will provide you with more information about our policy asks soon. Registration has closed.