When one person struggles with mental illness, the whole family carries the weight. Families are suffering too — and we see that. Patients Not Prisoners supports families across St. Johns, Duval, and Putnam counties by helping them feel heard, find support, and build connection through restorative circles.

We also help connect families with free telehealth therapy options through BetterHelp. No one should have to face these challenges alone, and we work to make sure they don't have to.

Several times a month, we provide an avenue for mental health socialization and acceptance for those who are not normally included or accepted in our society's social settings.

We provide meals and snacks to take home in an atypical environment of therapeutic fun. Here, participants find a safe place of comfort and education while having fun with peers who have similar struggles and social anxieties. It's about connection, belonging, and knowing you have a place in this community.

Each letter carries more than ink on paper — it carries hope, light, and love into places that need it most. Through the Letters of Hope Initiative, your words reach those who are struggling with mental illness, and those who find themselves isolated, hospitalized, or incarcerated.

Your message can remind them that they matter, that they are not forgotten, and that there is still goodness in the world. That kind of impact is immeasurable.

Communities need a Mental Health Court and a restorative Diversion Program. We are actively advocating with our lawmakers to make this a reality in Putnam and St. Johns counties.

Too many people living with mental illness are criminalized rather than connected with the care they need. Our advocacy work aims to change the systems that allow this to happen, pushing for alternatives that prioritize treatment and support over incarceration.