Caren Howard (she/her) currently serves as the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for Mental Health America (MHA), a community-based non-profit organization. She has over a decade of experience in government affairs and advocacy. Her commitment to mental health issues stems from her personal lived experience and noticing the contrasting ease and difficulty of getting treatment for a sprained ankle versus an invisible wound. Howard earned a B.A. in Political Science at Spelman College, the nation’s top ranked Historically Black College. She served as Class President during her senior year in high school and created her first town petition one summer home from college to save a beloved small coffee and gourmet foods store, Bun Penny, from closing down due to competition from corporate coffee chains like Starbucks, a brand which today underpays and prevents unionizing of employees while its CEO amasses hundreds of millions in pay. She currently is an advisor to the Florida Mental Health Advocacy Coalition and serves on the South Florida Spelman College Alumna Chapter Board of Directors, and the United Way Palm Beach County Women’s Committee.