Signer is executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Virginia, an organization started in 1985 that focuses on the needs of people with serious mental health illness. The group will participate in a rally Monday at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond to advocate for their cause. How does the organization aid those with a mental health illness?

We provide education and support for people who experience mental illnesses and also for their families and caregivers. We try to equip their lives with the tools they need to live their lives the way they want, whether that’s finding a place on their own or a job. We also work on public education and stigma. People hear about what happens at Virginia Tech and that stigma associated with mental health is a barrier to treatment, so we try to normalize it and help people see it’s like heart disease; it’s an illness that affects the brain.