New radio, print, and digital ad campaign champions law guaranteeing equal insurance coverage for mental and physical health
ATLANTA (May 7, 2025) — The Carter Center, with support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, has launched a public awareness campaign in the Atlanta metropolitan area to encourage women in our community who are less likely to receive services to seek mental health treatment.
The multimedia campaign aims to educate all residents about Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act of 2022 (HB 1013), a bipartisan law that requires insurers to provide the same level of coverage for mental health as physical health.
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than one in five adults in the U.S. have at least one mental illness. Research also has found that Black women experience more severe and chronic mental illnesses, in part because they are less likely to seek care. According to an Urban Institute report, “Improving Mental Health Care Access for Middle Class Black Women,” even Black women with greater financial means are less likely to seek mental health treatment because of previous poor experiences in the healthcare system, cost, and perceptions of stigma for having a mental illness.
“Georgia guarantees the right to access mental health treatment through insurance coverage, but many people are still unaware of this benefit,” said Dr. Kashef Ijaz, vice president of the Carter Center’s health programs. “When we support all communities that are disproportionately impacted by health issues, the well-being of the whole community improves.”
The public awareness campaign, which focuses on equal access to care for both the body and the mind, continues the Carter Center’s long-standing commitment to reduce discriminatory practices that result from stigma and improve access to treatment across Georgia and the nation. Improving mental health and well-being for all was a lifetime goal of the late Carter Center co-founder and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
The campaign was created with input from Atlanta community leaders from diverse backgrounds representing the metropolitan area and incorporates feedback from previous campaigns in Albany and Savannah. The Carter Center-led Georgia Parity Collaborative, a coalition of more than 80 mental health parity advocates from various sectors, also provided input for the campaign goals and ads. The campaign website, GeorgiaMentalHealth.com, offers guidance about what to do if an insurance claim is denied.
“The public awareness campaign will be on airwaves, digital billboards, in pharmacies, and in spaces throughout Atlanta to remind and encourage all individuals to prioritize their mental well-being,” said Dr. Eve Byrd, director of the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program. “You deserve equal care for your mind and your body, and thanks to Georgia’s 2022 Mental Health Parity Act, care for your mind should be as affordable as it is for your body with your health insurance plan.”
The Carter Center’s campaign ads will run in Atlanta-area markets from May until mid-July on multiple platforms, including:
The public is invited to participate in the awareness campaign by taking a picture of a campaign ad and sharing it on social media, tagging The Carter Center (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn).
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Media Contacts
Rennie Sloan, The Carter Center, rennie.sloan@cartercenter.org
Lily Fleenor, Jackson Spalding, lfleenor@jacksonspalding.com
The Carter Center
Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
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