Shirley Temples and Policy Change

Come together, right now

Did you see this story? A couple of years back, chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten found himself responding to unexpected feedback. An eight-year-old critic, Leo Kelly, better known as the “Shirley Temple King,” visited the chef’s restaurant and requested a drink that wasn’t on the menu. Unprepared but undoubtedly determined, Vongerichten and team crafted a unique Shirley Temple recipe on the spot. The result? A 9.3 rating (out of 10). While there are countless social media influencers out there rating everything from food to cars, it was a reminder to me of the power of public voices in shaping standards and driving change.

What’s fun about this example is that Kelly’s influence has had impact at scale. His reviews have prompted restaurants nationwide to reevaluate and refine their recipes (e.g. Texas Roadhouse), demonstrating that when people have a platform, speak up, and demand better, industries sometimes listen. This phenomenon highlights a broader truth - lasting change can happen when we speak up. And sometimes, the cost of remaining silent is worse than things not changing.

I know that mental health and Shirley Temples are not the same thing. However, when you get into the principles of what it takes to get people to change, there are some similarities. While individual advocates and leaders can push for change, the real impact comes when people join together, voice their concerns, and create a movement. Just as an influencer’s reviews can drive tangible improvements in restaurant offerings, collective advocacy can influence policies, public funding, and systemic reforms that define mental health care.

It’s hard not to see how the urgency of reform has never been greater. Recent policy shifts and political decisions have raised serious concerns about the future of mental health care. The withdrawal of support for public health initiatives, the rollback of diversity and inclusion efforts, and the reduction of funding for critical programs create an environment where mental health care is at risk of becoming even more inaccessible. For me and I am sure many of you, silence in the face of these challenges is not an option.

I’ve learned a lot about movement building over the past few years. I’ve had the chance to sit at the feet of some amazing leaders in this space, listen to them, see them in action, and work collaboratively on shared interests. While not exhaustive, there are a few key steps we can take.

Mobilizing for Change: Steps to Take

Creating a Shared Narrative: Movements gain traction when they establish a compelling story. The first step in field building is creating a shared understanding of what’s wrong and what needs to change. While online reviewers can call out things like poor Shirley Temple recipes, mental health advocates must highlight systemic gaps—whether it’s a lack of funding, inadequate access to care, or policies that fail to prioritize mental health and well-being. With policies threatening scientific integrity and health equity, the need for a unified message is more pressing than ever: Consistently name the problem and the come together around a solution.

Bringing People Together: One voice can make an impact, but collective voices create waves. Influencers wouldn’t be able to influence if we didn’t like their content and be influenced by it (read: change our behavior). Organizing forums, policy discussions, and advocacy campaigns allows diverse stakeholders—mental health professionals, policymakers, advocates, and most importantly those with lived experience—to align on priorities and solutions. We must create space where mental health advocates can connect, share experiences, and drive change together.

Demanding Better from Institutions and Policymakers: Change often happens when our institutions feel the pressure to act. Field building in mental health means not just advocating for change in personal or local contexts but holding policymakers, health care providers, and institutions accountable on a larger scale. I mean if we can get restaurants to adjust their recipes in response to a kid’s online review, mental health systems surely must evolve based on collective demands for equitable, accessible, and effective care. While not a scientific study, I am pretty sure that more people are going to need help with mental health than they are going to drink a Shirley Temple.

Normalizing Mental Health as a Public Priority: Society must continue to make mental health a foundational part of our communities. This requires continued conversations, persistent advocacy, and shared leadership across sectors. Mental health should not be an afterthought - ever - in fact, it should be embedded into national health strategies, public funding priorities, and policies that protect the well-being of all individuals, particularly marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by policy shifts.

Turning Individual Voices Into a Collective Force

Any influencer will tell you that change doesn’t happen in isolation. Their critiques often lead to some market change because their voice and opinion was amplified by an audience that believed in what they were saying (or at least entertained by it).

Similarly, the movement for mental health reform will only succeed if people come together. It’s not just about individual activists making change—it’s about building a field where everyone feels empowered to speak, advocate, and demand better. The more voices that join the conversation, the harder it becomes to ignore.

Recent political developments underscore why this movement must act with urgency. The rollback of policies that protect mental health services, the silencing of scientific research, and the erosion of health equity demand immediate and collective resistance. All of us must take a stand and ensure that mental health remains a national priority.

By creating a movement, not just a conversation, we can reshape the future of mental health care—one collective voice at a time. Now, more than ever, we must act.