Interviewing Sen. Butler About Youth Mental Health

August 30, 2024

Jennifer Lee (she/her) is the Founder of the Asian Americans with Disabilities Initiative (AADI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that amplifies the voices of disabled Asian Americans nationwide. She has previously worked at the White House for the Biden-Harris Administration, as well as national political advocacy projects at the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for American Progress, and the National Women’s Law Center. Jennifer is particularly passionate about the role intersectionality and inclusion play in disability justice: she serves as an Equity Advisor at the National Disability Institute, a 2023 NationSwell Fellow, 2022 ‘Youth to the Front Fund’ Frontliner from the We Are Family Foundation, and a 2023 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award and 2021 Heumann-Armstrong Award recipient. As a graduate of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, she is an incoming J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School, where she will specialize in disability and civil rights law. You can follow Jennifer on Instagram at @jennifer.lee1.

This story took place in United States

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As a disability and mental health advocate, I was excited to sit down with my state’s U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, who is a strong leader for inclusive mental health initiatives and policies. During our conversation, Sen. Butler shared how decision makers can engage young people when it comes to their wellness, the steps that are being taken to ensure mental health policies are representative of diverse populations, and how Sen. Butler takes care of her own mental health while fighting for grassroots communities.
As for what keeps her fighting for people, “the people,” she responds. “I have a nine-year-old daughter. It is the everyday people who choose to do something extraordinary that gives me hope for what will be when it is her turn.”

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