It’s a Tuesday morning in New York City and Caitlin Garbo is rounding up a bus full of people to travel up to Albany. They’re heading to the State Capitol Building to ask for more funding to support the loved ones of those living with mental illnesses in the city. There, legislators and advocates will share their personal stories of caring for struggling family and friends—inspiring state senators and assembly members to stand up and share their own stories, too.
If you were to tell Caitlin Garbo five years ago she would be working at an advocacy group for mental health in NYC, she wouldn’t believe you. Five years ago, she couldn’t picture herself at rallies, speaking with legislators, and leading a group of advocates who are as dedicated to the cause as she is.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) began in 1979 when a group of parents from 29 different states decided they needed better resources and support for their children suffering from mental illnesses.
Since then, more than 600 NAMI state organizations and affiliates have popped up across America—including the one here in NYC.
After graduating from Cornell University with a human development degree, Garbo spent a year in NYC doing a service year. She worked directly in women’s shelters and underprivileged communities through advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations.
She went on to get her master’s degree in public administration learning about policy changes, the world of legislation, and how to provide resources for people before they end up in life-altering situations.
Today, she is the Public Policy and Advocacy Manager at NAMI-NYC. As she puts it, “I want to make sure people don’t fall through the cracks that are created in our society and our systems.”
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I would say there is no real typical day. Essentially, there’s all kinds of things that we do. We have a program called the advocacy ambassadors, which is a group of 150-plus advocates who are actively working with us. We’ve screened them and trained them. They will take action with us whether there’s a rally happening, we’re going up to Albany to have legislative meetings, or just coming to events. Other parts of the job is meeting with legislators directly, and looking over policies that have been introduced that are being discussed by the city–council members, assembly members, and senators.
Are there any commonalities among the people who work for NAMI? Is there a common motivation that you find for why people are involved in the cause?
I think everyone is individually touched by mental illness, whether it’s having lived experience with mental health conditions or having a family member, loved one, or friend who has a mental illness. I think we are all drawn to this space because of that. We always say, “One in five people lives with a mental health condition.” I think it’s a very warm organizational culture because of that. Everyone does kind of, like, get it.
You said you work a lot with legislators, and I’m sure there are a lot of frustrating moments that come out of that. Are there any moments in particular that you felt like you were just pushing and pushing for something and nothing came out of it?
We work on something called Daniel’s Law, which is a statewide bill for having a non-police response to mental health crises, and to establish that. It was really exciting that a little bit of funding was passed last year in the state budget for it, but it was just for a task force to start discussing what it could look like. So that’s an example of a little bit of disappointment, but also a step in the right direction.
What can get a bill passed more quickly?
Sometimes bills take years and years. Basically, we get people to sign on as co-sponsors to say, “Hey, I support this bill.” It’s really exciting when we get that. But then, all these other things can happen—the bill moves slowly throughout committees, and something gets vetoed by the governor. There’s all kinds of things that can happen.
Do you feel like there are a lot of misconceptions about your work?
I think people don’t really understand all the nuances of all the specific things I’m involved in. They think I’m just a lobbyist going up to Albany all the time–which I’m not–that’s only a small portion of my job. A lot more is the discussions, gathering insight and sharing that insight, doing research around bills and information about mental health. Or they’re like, “Oh, you’re such a good person,” and I’m like, I don’t know. I’m just here because it feels important.
Do you want to stay in this type of work forever? I hate the term “Five Year Plan,” but is there a certain direction you want to take your career in?
There’s some aspects that I really want to take and run with, like the educational advocacy pieces, really making sure that we’re creating conversations, and that people have access to knowledge. I think there’s a world where I could be more involved directly in the policy and legislative side. There’s a lot of stuff happening right now in our city and state where we might have plans for the week, for the month, and then something comes up and we have to work on responding to that. The job keeps you on your toes. I don’t think I’d want to be in a position in the future where it’s almost too predictable.
Who do you turn to for support, inspiration, and motivation?
What inspires me is authors and people who’ve been doing the work. When I was in grad school I was reading a lot of Audre Lorde and doing a lot of reflection on being radical, but also my place in the community, making sure I’m uplifting not just myself but others as well.
What’s been your biggest learning moment, or takeaway from your career so far?
I’m not the biggest public speaker, but this job has kind of pushed me to sometimes speak at events like a rally or a press conference or to testify in front of city council. I think for me, it lets me take my voice and use it. But also, I think the biggest part for me is to support others. Getting people to open up, like our ambassadors who are coming to us saying they’re ready to start advocating. To have them open up and share their story with us–it can feel really wonderful to see somebody finally feel ready to do that.
