Mainstay established an Advocates Advisory Board, which would come to be named Voices of Mainstay, in 2019. Open to all people supported by Mainstay, this group encourages participants to engage with each other, company and community leaders, and the wider community to speak confidently of their wants, needs, and issues that are important to them.
Voices of Mainstay meets monthly to discuss shared experiences, identify and report on programs or services that promote positive change, and support its members to live their best life. The group also has guest speakers and presentations that focus on self-advocacy and other important conversations like healthy relationships. This has resulted in lasting change to Mainstay’s programs, opportunities, and overall quality of life for everyone involved.
Representatives from Voices of Mainstay have also participated in activities around the state through speaking engagements in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, and attending Capitol Day and the Everyday Lives Conference.
“The conference was excellent, and it was enjoyable,” said Lindsay Kondis, Mainstay’s Peer Advocate who attended Everyday Lives 2024. “The information that they provided was great and I met another advocate from another part of Pennsylvania. The information I learned was beneficial for my job as a peer advocate and for our Voices of Mainstay advocacy group. It was great to be a representative for Mainstay at the conference.”