Since 2003, the APA Foundation has recognized 117 community-based organizations with awards totaling $590,000 for their innovative and supportive work to raise awareness about mental illness in underserved minority communities. Winners of the 2023-2024 cycle include:
- Community Counseling and Mediation is a Brooklyn-based behavioral health organization committed to addressing the root causes and problems associated with mental illness and substance and alcohol abuse. Their focus is to create a network of support to promote health, stable, and enriched lives and communities. They provide a wide range of social support, counseling, health, mental health, education, and supportive housing services to at-risk children, youth, and families in some of the most impoverished minority populated areas of Brooklyn.
- The LGBTQ Center Long Beach (One in Long Beach, Inc.) began in 1977 as living room gatherings where people discussed issues important to the LGBTQ community. Since being officially incorporated in 1980, the Center has been providing a variety of health, social, advocacy, legal, and service programs to the LGBTQ community in the Greater Long Beach area. These services include mental health counseling, free HIV and STI testing, legal assistance, support for victims of domestic violence, and more. Through their services, support groups, workshops, and other events, the LGBTQ Center Long Beach continually shows their commitment to creating fully affirming communities where all LGBTQ people live in health, wellness, safety, and prosperity.
- A Home Within, in 1994, a small group of psychotherapists founded the organization in San Francisco in 1994 with a mission to heal the wounds of complex trauma and ambiguous loss for current and former foster youth by providing free, individual psychotherapy through local networks of volunteer clinicians. A Home Within identifies, recruits, trains, and supports a network of licensed therapists who each provide free, weekly, one-to-one therapy to a single child, teen, or adult "for as long as it takes.” A Home Within provides over 16,000 hours of free therapy each year. Today, their network of 20 chapters across 11 states serves over 500 individuals currently or previously in foster care. Their work works to ensure that all individuals who have experienced foster care will be supported and provided with renewed hope.
- First Call (First Call Alcohol/ Drug Prevention & Recovery) for 65 years, First Call has provided wraparound services to meet community need for those affected by substance use disorder in the Kansas City metropolitan area. First Call provides services to 12,000 people annually, working in concert with schools, legal systems, and neighborhood coalitions. Some of their services include a 24/7 crisis call line that operates continuously and provides mental health first aid and referrals to people experiencing behavioral health crises; counseling and resources for the people who are impacted by a loved one’s substance use disorder; and recovery advocates provide support to those navigating a complex path to recovery.
- Ser Familia, Inc. Belisa and Miguel Urbina launched Ser Familia in 2001 with the desire to strengthen Latino couples and families in an effort to address the lack of resources for Latinos across the Atlanta metropolitan area. Today, their programs, workshops, and services allow Latino families to flourish and contribute to the wellbeing of their communities. Last year, Ser Familia reached over 7,500 people from 31 different counties. Notably, their clients participated in 94% of their scheduled mental health appointments and 44% of their clients reported an improvement in their anxiety and depression after receiving services. In addition to providing valuable mental health services, Ser Familia served over 2,000 crime victims, provided more than 2,000 vaccines, and distributed emergency financial assistance to more than 650 individuals. Through their work, it is abundantly clear that Ser Familia is equipping Latinos in the Atlanta area and beyond with the tools, resources, and skills they need to move from crisis to thriving.
- Build, Inc. Build, Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development, is one of Chicago’s leading gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development organizations. Their mission is to inspire hope and offer opportunities so youth facing systemic obstacles can achieve positive futures. Since 1969, build has helped thousands of young people transform their lives, and today reaches over 6,500 youth and families a year. With the help of caring adult mentors, Build provides young people in Chicago with a variety of experiences in the arts, athletics, college & career preparation, leadership development, and mental health programing.
- Hispanic Unity of Florida, Inc. was founded in 1982 as a haven for immigrants and refugees, the Hispanic Unity of Florida has grown to serve diverse and multi-cultural working families from the united states as well as more than 25 other countries. They provide a range of wrap-around services to help more than 23,000 clients of all ages successfully transition to a productive new life. Hispanic Unity of Florida offers 12 programs and services in four languages: English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and American Sign Language. We commend their efforts to empower immigrants and others to become self-sufficient, productive, and civically engaged.
- GateWay of Hope, launched in 2006, Gateway of Hope is a safe place for women of any age to receive confidential counseling and therapy services. In addition to counseling, gateway of hope provides coaching and group support aimed at leading women to discover hope, pursue healing, and live in wholeness. Thank you, Gateway of Hope, for providing women of all ages with the opportunity to positively impact themselves and future generations.
- Hope Horizon Mental Health, for over 50 years, hope horizon mental health has been serving the children, adults, and families of Tulare County, California. Through individual and group therapy, school-based mental health services, case management, and other therapeutic services, hope horizon mental health strives to create an environment where children, adults, and families can thrive. With 30 cities, 40 schools, and over 30,000 people served in Tulare County, Hope Horizon Mental Health is working to ensure that no one should have to suffer through the effects of mental health issues alone.
- Family Houston (Family Service Center at Houston and Harris County) in 1904, after the devastating Galveston hurricane of 1900 and a serious smallpox epidemic, 12 prominent citizens founded Family Houston to serve as a flexible social service agency ready to quickly offer help to those in need. Since then, Family Houston has helped their community through the influenza epidemic, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Vietnam War amongst other tragedies. Through their many programs and outreach services, Family Houston builds stronger communities by supporting families who face financial, mental health, relationships, and other critical challenges.
- Our Minds Matter was founded in Virginia in 2012 with the vision to end teen suicide. Their work affirms the inherent dignity of each person they work and helps them create an environment where all can flourish and become one’s best self. In 2023, Our Minds Matter engaged with over 49,000 teens at over 1,000 teen-led events. They have 2,315 school club members in over 130 schools nationwide.