Phoenix lawyer travels to UK for mental health
A Phoenix-based lawyer is traveling across the UK to raise money for mental health patients in Phoenix, FOX 10’s Lauren Clark reports.
Phoenix – A local lawyer is on a gruelling journey across the Atlantic to England to raise funds for thousands of Arizona residents.
Its mission is to help the 5.5% of Americans living with severe mental illness, particularly those in Arizona.
In Phoenix, residents are often caught in a cycle of homelessness and incarceration.
Attorney Josh Moselle’s goal is to raise enough funds for programs that provide housing and services to those in need.
What does Moselle do?
This isn’t a typical European trip for the Phoenix-based health care lawyer.
“We’re 55 miles into an 84-mile journey walking across England from the North Sea to the Irish Sea,” Mr Moselle said.
He’s hiking the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall in the English countryside, battling wind and rain along the way.
“It felt like we got more rain yesterday than Arizona gets in a year. I ended up totally soaked,” he said.
Even though he’s on the other side of the Atlantic, his heart remains in Phoenix.
Why would he do this?
“The need is so great in Phoenix,” Moselle said.
Most of the city’s severely mentally ill people have no access to services or support at all.
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“This is something we’ve avoided for so long,” he says. “There’s a lot of stigma attached to it, but it’s really important that we talk about it so people can get the care they need.”
One way to spark conversation is by sharing his journey online.
He’s been posting updates on his social media pages and raising more funds on a GoFundMe page.
“We need to start treating people who are chronically homeless and have severe mental illnesses differently, and until we do, I don’t think we should be acting like we’ve given these people dignity,” he said. “It’s just not enough.”
Josh is a quarter of the way to his $100,000 fundraising goal.
