APA Foundation Announces Winners of Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health

The APA Foundation on Tuesday announced the winners of its 2023 Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health at the Diversity Leaders and Alumni Reception at APA’s Annual Meeting.

Since 2003, the APA Foundation has recognized 107 community-based organizations with awards totaling $535,000 for their innovative and supportive work to raise awareness about mental illness in underserved minority communities. These efforts include promoting the early recognition of mental illness, improving access to quality mental health services, and addressing cultural barriers to treatment, with special attention to patients in the public health system or with severe mental illness. The awards include a financial contribution of $5,000 for each organization and an engraved plaque.

“Despite many uncertainties brought on or exposed by the pandemic, we are proud to recognize this select group of awardees for helping to advance mental health equity for our neighbors in need and their families,” said APA Foundation Executive Director Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq. “We cannot meet the moment without them.”

This year’s winners are the following:

• South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network (SAMHIN) was launched in 2014 to address a broad range of mental health needs of South Asians in the United States. SAMHIN's HelpLine receives calls from all over the country, and its national list of mental health providers is searchable by South Asian languages, gender, specialty, and geographic region. Other services include support groups to address the emotional needs of South Asian women who are separated, divorced, or contemplating divorce and struggling to cope with the challenges, including stigma and shame.


• Neighbors’ Consejo was founded in 1994 in a church basement in Washington, D.C. Neighbors’ Consejo’s mission is to provide free, culturally, and linguistically competent mental health services and social and community support. Neighbors’ Consejo serves the Latino and African American communities and the most vulnerable residents in the Washington, D.C., area. Community supports include medical and psychiatric treatment, therapy, and assistance to community members to achieve the goals they set to improve their lives.


• Association House of Chicago was founded in 1899 to meet the needs of new immigrants on Chicago’s West Side. Today, its work continues through a mission to serve a multicultural community with comprehensive bilingual, collaborative, and effective programs in English and Spanish. Association House creates opportunities for educational and economic advancement as well as promotes education and awareness to destigmatize conversations around trauma, mental health, and wellness. Association House regularly participates in local forums/panels and provides resources to individuals through community outreach and events.

• Amani Family Services in Fort Wayne, Ind., was founded in 2005 to serve refugees, immigrants, and non-English speaking residents struggling with addictions, cultural adjustment, parenting skills, mental health, child abuse and neglect, and criminal justice system and immigration matters. Amani Family Services provides clinical services that help crime victims navigate the criminal justice system, prevent family violence, decrease substance use, and prevent and address child abuse and neglect. Amani serves a multicultural community in Allen County, with clients representing 34 countries from around the world.


• Center Orlando Inc. opened its doors in 1978 as a safe space for the gay community to gather and have access to quality, nonjudgmental information and services. The Center Orlando’s mission is to promote and empower the LGBTQ+ community and its allies through advocacy, education, information, and support. The center identifies needs and provides free services where there are gaps in care, with the goal of increasing equity of access for the Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities. The center was instrumental in supporting survivors and those affected by the 2016 mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub.


• The Achievable Foundation was founded in 1996 in Culver City, Calif., to care for marginalized and underserved community members with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2013, The Achievable Foundation built a health center that provides a full range of primary care services, as well as integrated behavioral health services for Latinx adults, adults living in poverty, and adults with disabilities. The Achievable Foundation provides equitable access to culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services.


• Lines for Life was launched in 2019 to support mental wellness in communities of color in the Portland, Ore., area. Lines for Life has impacted underserved minority communities by hosting culturally specific mental health trainings; developing a network of cultural advocates to promote mental wellness at schools, businesses, and community events; and building safe spaces for mental health discussion, including a barbershop/hair stylist initiative designed to equip community voices to respond to crisis. Lines of Life partners with a broad set of organizations who serve people enduring trauma. ■