MISSION

  • IMH’s mission is to promote optimal mental health for children and their families in New Orleans.

CORE VALUES

  • IMH believes that mental health must be defined broadly and recognizes that the development of optimal mental health (sometimes referred to as social-emotional development) is affected by many factors.
  • We believe that it is important to build on successes by promoting best practices and innovative approaches that offer promise.
  • We believe that issues of race and culture affect mental health and the provision of services and should be addressed.
  • We believe that our grants should support programs that intentionally and specifically address the social-emotional development of low-income, and/or underserved children and their families in Orleans parish.
  • We believe that early intervention and prevention are the most effective approaches to promoting optimal mental health in children and their families in our community.
  • We believe that families are fundamental to their children’s social and emotional development and should be supported in their parenting.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

  • To add mental health services to existing programs that serve children and their families in New Orleans.
  • To leverage our funds through partnering with other organizations that are interested in adding mental health services to their existing programs.
  • To help build bridges between providers in low-income communities with universities and other mainstream mental health and child-serving institutions, and to encourage community voices in conversations about mental health.
  • To build mental health leadership capacity in the community.
  • To support efforts related to advocacy, infrastructure development and improving the organizational effectiveness of mental health groups in New Orleans.