Alisa Thornton - Advocating For Others

An Advocate for Mental Health

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Shawn Turrentine

Washington, D.C., native Alisa Thornton Banks prides herself in advocating for those who deal with mental illness. She was raised by a single mother, Bernadette Thornton, known by many as a “Boss Lady” and mother to many mothers. Alisa says her mother instilled into her and her sister, Cyndi, the importance of being a mother first, and also on being self-sufficient and never needing anything from anyone. “My mother was a very good example of what it is to be from the city and represent your city in everything I do. She was also a hard worker, working her way from the mailroom in the Federal government to a GS 16,” Alisa says.

She lost her mother in 2022 after a long battle with cancer. Still, Alisa remains inspired and empowered to continue to build her legacy for her family in honor of her beloved mother by creating the Bernadette Thornton Foundation.

Alisa is a wife and mother herself, having two brilliant daughters. What is even more amazing is that she is a grandmother. Alisa is very hard on education and desired for her kids to attend school in Virginia, and moved from D.C./Maryland to Virginia so they could. Her move paid off, as her daughters graduated from high school with advanced diplomas and are now college students. “My family is my “why” and the reason I advocate so hard,” she says.

Alisa is a survivor of domestic violence. Today, she serves as an advocate in mental health. She is also a Realtor with Samson Properties. She takes pride in educating her clients on the importance of investing in their future. Her passion for helping others can be felt because she is passioned about the work she does. She also owns Another Touch Solutions LLC.

“I got involved with mental health because of others I saw suffering with the illness,” she says. Alisa is also big on advocating services for men, African-American men. She has conducted various support groups that have taken place in churches, schools, county workshops, barber shops, salons, and anywhere the support is needed. She even had a few hookah bars request her to facilitate support groups or mental health information sessions at their locations. “There are not many services for men in our community, so I had to create a way to bring the support to them,” Alisa shared.

Alisa has proven to be a voice for those who cannot speak and the light for those in dark places. Her efforts have placed her on a national platform as an advocate and activist in Mental Health. She has spoken at a Congressional Briefing in 2016. Since doing so, she has worked nonstop in her community.

The stigma associated with individuals suffering from mental health continues to hinder them from coming forward and sharing their illness with others. “People often labeled people crazy, but if you think about it, no one offered to help that person. Throughout life, it was my perception that no one really cared to help these individuals,” Alisa says. That pushed her.

Alisa recounts her life had many ups and downs, but because her mother worked so hard, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. She did, however, experience the same trauma and tragedy as anyone else. In 2012, her stepfather was murdered at her family home by his brother. This shattered her trust in people and family. “ How can you trust when you can not even trust those within your own home? You can not feel comfortable when someone in your home is murdered by another family member,” she said. Nobody really understood the trauma that has on her or her family. In order to move past this, she needed answers. She felt she had to create change. She began working for NAMI, the National Alliance of Mental Health. In her role, Alisa used her own experience to help support families and caregivers who were in crisis to become stable again.

Alisa has been recognized as one of the sought-after Family Support Partners/Peer Support Specialists for the minority population in Northern Virginia. She has helped hundreds of families navigate the system to get the right services in place to help their families get on track. Even more, Alisa has a keen sense of empowering, supporting, and understanding parents going through crisis.

Alisa is highly experienced and comfortable working within at-risk and vulnerable communities. Today, she is certified as a trainer to conduct support groups/classes and parent training for NAMI Virginia and NAMI Prince William. She is a speaker at the CIT training for police officers in Prince William County. She often shares her experiences to help officers understand the family perspective to bridge the gap between officers and the community. Her work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Alisa has even been invited to attend the National CIT Conference in Detroit in August with over 1,500 officers. In June 2023, Alisa received the NAMI Virginia HOPE Award.

While continuing to work with NAMI, Alisa discovered VOICE, Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement. This began her path of working with legislative matters, including input during the general assembly. She says having the voice of the parents and peers in the community alongside some of Virginia’s most powerful Faith Leaders has been an unbelievable experience. This organization is the driving force in Virginia’s mental health response, opening the first Crisis Receiving Center in Woodbridge in 2024.

Alisa currently serves as Chair of the Virginia Department of Social Services, Division of Family Services (DFS) Parent Advisory Council. The Council’s mission is to collaborate with DFS in building strategic partnerships between parents and staff, promoting parent leadership development, and helping expand the meaningful roles and voices throughout public child welfare. She also represents the Council on the Child Welfare Advisory Committee in this role. Other organizations she has worked with have been Casey Family, Families Forward, FSP’s of Virginia, BPNN, Generations United, and many more.

Pictured with Alisa is her granddaughter, Autumn.

Alisa joined forces with Stars Performing Arts Inc (Shining. Through. Adversity. Reaching. Success.), a 501c3 non-profit organization, in early 2022. The organization gives those challenged (visually impaired, autistic, down syndrome, homeless shelter, foster homes, parents on substance abuse, and various other disabilities) a platform to shine in the arts.

Looking ahead, Alisa hopes to get more involved with legislation associated with her cause. She also hopes to help others learn how to become financially stable, which includes educational components focused on understanding a credit score. “I just want to be on the frontline and do the work. I don’t need clout; I don’t need recognition. All I need is to get the people I serve results,” she says.

In conclusion, Alisa shares, “This is the Year of the Peer! I will continue to be the light to those in dark places and the VOICE for those who can not SPEAK!”