1. Lobbying and Testimony:
   • Meet with Staffers: Schedule meetings with congressional staff to present your proposal, focusing on data (e.g., 1 in 100 people experience schizophrenia, and untreated cases lead to significant societal costs).
   • Testify at Hearings: Request to testify at hearings on mental health or online safety, sharing stories (anonymized if necessary) of individuals harmed by TI groups.
   • Grassroots Campaign: Mobilize affected families and mental health advocates to write letters or call congressional offices, urging action. Use platforms like OpenSecrets to track which organizations or industries (e.g., tech companies) might oppose your efforts and strategize accordingly.
2. Address Ethical and Practical Challenges:
   • Balancing Autonomy: Any legislative measure must respect the rights of individuals with schizophrenia, avoiding blanket exclusions from decision-making that could echo past ethical violations in research.
   • Avoiding Stigma: Frame the issue as protecting vulnerable adults from exploitation, not as a problem inherent to schizophrenia, to avoid perpetuating stereotypes about violence or incapacity.
   • Feasibility: Start with pilot programs in high-risk states (e.g., those with large online communities or high rates of untreated mental illness) to test interventions before scaling nationally.

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Immediate Steps to Take

1. Contact Congressional Offices:
   • Use Congress.gov to find contact information for your representatives and senators. Request a meeting with their health policy staffer, citing the urgent need to protect vulnerable adults from online exploitation.
   • Prepare a one-page brief summarizing the issue, using data from sources like the World Health Organization (schizophrenia affects 1 in 300 people globally) and real-world examples (e.g., the case of Jenny from the gangstalking article).
2. Connect with NAMI:
   • Reach out to NAMI Michigan or your local chapter to join advocacy efforts. They offer resources and training for engaging with policymakers.
   • Attend their virtual or in-person events to network with others concerned about schizophrenia and exploitation.
3. Raise Awareness:
   • Share information on social media (without linking to harmful TI content) about the risks of online grooming for people with mental illness. Use hashtags like #MentalHealthAwareness or #ProtectVulnerableAdults.
   • Write an op-ed for a local newspaper, citing the need for federal action to address this emerging threat.
4. Support Affected Individuals:
   • If you know someone caught in a TI group, encourage them to seek help from a psychiatrist or crisis hotline (e.g., 988 in the U.S.). Offer to connect them with NAMI’s peer-support programs.
   • Avoid confronting their beliefs directly, as this can entrench delusions. Instead, focus on building trust and suggesting medical evaluation.