Profile: Mental Health Association of Houston

Good mental health is a vital cornerstone to a healthy community. For more than 50 years, MHA Houston has worked to ensure that our community makes mental health a priority. We have actively sought to replace misperceptions and misunderstanding about mental illness with compassion and proper treatment.

A Houston philanthropist, Miss Ima Hogg founded the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston in 1954. Each year, we honor her memory with a special award presented in her name. The men and women who receive this honor have contributed to a variety of mental health causes and represent the values and principles that Miss Hogg held dear.

Our Mission

To promote mental health and to improve the care and treatment of persons living with mental illness through education and advocacy.

MHA Houston educates and advocates to:

                                 Encourage people to seek mental health treatment when it is needed; and
                                 Ensure that needed services are available to all, regardless of ability to pay.

Our programs:

                                 Link people to mental health services in the community through a dedicated information and referral line available by phone or e-mail to the public, helping more than 5,000 people each year to maneuver through what can be a confusing system to get the help they need.

                                 Provide education and training for key sectors of the community, including clergy, law enforcement officials and health care professionals, helping those who help others meet the mental health needs of the community.

                                 Remove barriers to mental health care by facilitating change in systems, including the criminal justice arena, employer-sponsored health insurance and juvenile probation. By creating this kind of large-scale change, better solutions are created to meet mental health needs.

                                 Advocate for legislative solutions that address the vast unmet need for public mental health service, including increased funding and better public policy.

We couldn’t do this alone! Our partners include: