Phoenix lawyer journeys through England to raise money for mental health patients

PHOENIX - A local attorney is on a grueling trek across the Atlantic Ocean in England to raise money for thousands of Arizonans. 

The mission is to help the 5.5% of Americans who have severe mental illness, especially those in Arizona. 

In Phoenix, the population is often stuck in a vicious cycle of homelessness and imprisonment. 

The goal for attorney Josh Mozell is to raise enough money for a program to provide housing and services to those who need it.

What is Mozell doing?

It's not your typical European vacation for the Phoenix-based health law attorney.

"We are 55 miles into an 84-mile journey where we are walking across the entirety of England from the North Sea to the Irish Sea," Mozell said.

He is hiking the entirety of Hadrian's Wall along the English countryside, fighting the wind and rain along the way.

"I feel like we got more rain yesterday than what we get in a year in Arizona, and we were completely soaked through by the end," he said.

Despite being across the pond, his heart is still in Phoenix.

Why is he doing this?

"The need is extreme in Phoenix," Mozell says.

Most of the city's severely mentally ill are desperately lacking services and help.

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"It's something that we've shied away from for a long time," he said. "There's a lot of stigma involved, but having discussions about it is so important for getting people the care that they need."

One way to spark that conversation is to share his journey online.

He is providing updates to his social media pages and raising more money on his GoFundMe page.

"Those who are severely mentally ill and chronically homeless; we need to start doing things differently. Until we do that, I don't think we should act like we've dignified this population," he says. "It's not enough."

Josh is ¼ of the way toward his fundraising goal of $100,000.