On a recent afternoon, more than 60 students from George Washington University and other D.C.-area schools knocked on office doors across Capitol Hill, delivering a message to lawmakers: Mental health reform can’t wait—and their voices needed to be heard.
The meetings were led by Ethan Fitzgerald, B.A. ’25, a master’s student at the Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) and a former political science and organizational sciences major at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
Last October, Fitzgerald, a past president of the GW Student Government Association, launched Students for Mental Health Action (SMHA), a nonpartisan mental health advocacy organization. Along with a team of volunteers, Fitzgerald is training and organizing students to engage directly with Congress on bipartisan legislation. In just a few months, the group has grown to more than 150 student members.
Earlier this month, SMHA held their first Hill Day. Meeting with congressional staffers, students shared their personal stories and advocated for new approaches to mental health focused on continuity of care, peer support and greater access for college students.
“My core belief is that young people deserve a seat at the table—sharing their lived experiences and bringing new ways of thinking to the challenges we’re facing,” Fitzgerald said.
In an interview with GW Today, Fitzgerald talked about raising student voices, reforming the mental health landscape and why the issue is so personal to him—and students across the country.
Q: What is SMHA? What makes it unique?
A: SMHA is a pathway for students who want to participate in mental health advocacy on the Hill. It’s basically a one-stop shop, peer-to-peer advocacy resource for students.
We identify specific bipartisan mental health legislation. We recruit students. We train them to share their lived experiences and engage their members of Congress around the youth mental health crisis. And then we set up meetings with Congress. In short, we help bring students from campus to Capitol Hill in a structured, policy-focused way.
Our key mission is making it as easy as possible for students who are passionate about mental health issues to advocate for themselves and for the broader youth population. In doing so, we’re building community and building power for young people.
Q: You’re the founder of SMHA. Why did you feel there was a need for this organization? And why now?
A: Right now, young people are feeling increasingly isolated. They feel as though their voices aren’t being heard.
Going through COVID, we saw so many challenges because our system did not have the support it needed. And, to a large extent, we still haven’t made the necessary reforms. I saw a need, and I saw that there was an opportunity to get more young people to the Hill. The SMHA team we’ve assembled knows how to connect with decision-makers and help students feel comfortable speaking with them.
There’s also a real need to make youth mental health more visible in policy conversations and to ensure that the people most directly affected—young people—are actually included in shaping the decisions that impact them.
Q: What are some of the issues surrounding mental health that SMHA is advocating for?
A: The issues that students face are extremely nuanced, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Part of having these conversations is to erase the stigma around talking about mental health. That’s an area where I feel we have been making real progress.
But another part of this effort is the legislative side, and there are a few key pieces of legislation that we’ve identified.
One of the bills we’re advocating for is to get the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline printed on all college IDs. This is a simple access issue. But access is a key problem, especially for rural communities.
Another bill is about continuity of care. There are rules around licensing reciprocity for college mental health providers that can prevent them from caring for [people in a different state]. That’s a really acute challenge, especially for college students who go to school out of state.
And another bill is a peer-to-peer pilot program where students can speak to other properly trained students. If you’re having an experience, sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone who’s your age or has had a relatable experience.
Q: How did this become your issue?
A: Going back to COVID, I had mental health challenges like a lot of my friends. I had those nights where friends texted me talking about suicide. I had really long late night conversations to convince them not to do it. After that happens multiple times, it’s hard not to care about this issue, just as a human being. As I said, no one bill is going to solve everything. But if there’s anything you can do to save a life, you have to do it.
Q: Tell me about Hill Day. Can you describe the scene?
A: It was incredibly exciting and empowering. After all the hard work the SMHA staff and students put into preparing for that day—meticulously planning out every detail, making sure everyone had the support they needed, ensuring no one was going to a meeting alone—it was great to see it all come off.
All the congressional staff were very receptive. Many told us these were their favorite meetings, and they loved seeing young people talk about an issue that’s important to them.
There was one student who was really nervous before her meeting. We reassured her that she was well-prepared but should only share her story if she felt comfortable. When I sat in on her meeting, this student who had been so nervous now spoke beautifully and with so much confidence and passion. That encapsulates why we wanted to create this opportunity for students to share their stories in spaces that can move minds.
Q: What’s next for SMHA?
A: We’re going to keep this engine moving. In addition to training and recruitment, we are coordinating with national organizations. We want to put together a student roundtable and invite members of Congress to be a part of it. We’re planning another Hill Day. We are getting more people involved and building up our team. Everyone who signed up wanted to know what else they can do. We have tremendous support, particularly from the Graduate School of Political Management and GSPM Executive Director Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
This effort is all about locking arms and ensuring that we get more young people to the table. It’s about standing together and building community.
If you are in crisis or concerned about a GW student in crisis, please call Counseling and Psychological Services at the Student Health Center, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 202- 994-5300 (option 3) to speak with a counselor.