Bill Smith and Amy Runyon-Harms of Inseparable lead a national advocacy organization dedicated to transforming mental health policy in the United States. Formed to build the political power needed to fix broken systems, Inseparable focuses on turning broad awareness of mental health into concrete legislative change. Their approach draws from lessons learned in other successful social movements, emphasizing strategy, coalition-building, and storytelling to drive results.

Inseparable’s approach includes:

• Running campaign-style advocacy. The organization uses coordinated strategies—public education, lobbying, polling, and coalition management—to move policy at both state and federal levels. Its structure, with separate nonprofit and political arms, gives it flexibility to push for reform while remaining compliant with advocacy laws.
• Advancing youth mental health policy. Inseparable has achieved more than 90 policy wins across the country, from securing school-based mental health coordinators to expanding access to free therapy sessions for young people. These efforts have strengthened mental health infrastructure in states like Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Alabama.
• Building bipartisan support. Through its Hopeful Futures Campaign, Inseparable works with policymakers from across the political spectrum, emphasizing shared values and the universal desire for children to have hopeful, healthy futures.
• Growing the movement. The organization trains emerging advocates through fellowships and workshops, equipping them with the skills to run effective campaigns and sustain long-term systems change.

Smith and Runyon-Harms credit their success to persistence and the ability to adapt quickly to legislative realities. Their work shows that policy progress depends on storytelling, strong partnerships, and a clear understanding of how power operates. Though challenges remain—from funding constraints to cultural resistance around discussing mental health in schools—they believe reform is possible when advocates stay united around a simple truth: mental health is a shared American concern, not a partisan one.