New Orleans Mental Health Collaborative
Vision
The Mental Health Collaborative’s (MHC) vision is for New Orleanians to have equitable access to a robust, well-coordinated mental health system of high-quality care. With an overarching goal of coordination of care grounded in needs assessment, the MHC’s current focus includes access to care and capacity building.
Rooted in a collective impact model, the MHC is a network of community members, organizations, and institutions who advance equity by learning together, utilizing current data to align and integrate their actions to achieve population and systems-level change as it relates to behavioral health in New Orleans.
Mental Health Collaborative Leadership
CO-CHAIRS
Joe Giarrusso
Councilmember
City of New Orleans
Rochelle Head-Dunham,
MD, DFAPA, FASAM
Executive Director and Medical Director
Metropolitan Human Services District
Areas of Focus
Coordination of Care
Access to Care
- Community and Place-based Care
- Insurance
- Public, Private, Under-insured
Capacity Building
- Cultural Competency
- Trauma-informed Care Training
Needs Assessment
- Youth – Trauma
- Youth – General Behavioral Health
- Adults – General Behavioral Health
Areas of Service
MHC focuses on the New Orleans East, Lower 9, and Holy Cross neighborhoods based on available data and need. As the highest concentrations of Medicaid beneficiaries, along with a lack of behavioral health providers, these three neighborhoods have been identified as behavioral health deserts.
Medicaid Coverage Overlaid with Behavioral Health and Federally Qualified Clinics
- The highest concentrations of Medicaid beneficiaries are farthest away from dedicated behavioral health professionals.
- Based on geographic spread and access to services, neighborhoods with higher Medicaid populations are more reliant on safety-net provider organizations to receive routine behavioral health care.
Mental Health Collaborative Efforts
- SAMHSA RESOLVE: A New Orleans Initiative
- Increases clinical mental health services in schools
- Partnership Workgroup
- Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD) & Ochsner Clinic New Orleans East Partnership
- Convening behavioral health providers in New Orleans East, Holy Cross, and Lower 9 neighborhoods
- Medicaid School Drawdown Workgroup
- Tracking Public Policy
- HB1
- HCR 17: Requests the state Department of Education, Department of Children & Family Services, and Louisiana Department of Health to collaborate to increase mental health counseling in public school
- SB 190: Provides for Medicaid reimbursement rate increases
- Tracking Public Policy
- Medicaid School-Based Services for increased physical and behavioral health services to be delivered in schools
- Utilizing “LA Voz Connecta Whats App” to connect Spanish speakers to vital community resources & media campaign
- SAMHSA RESOLVE: A New Orleans Initiative
- Free Mental Health First Aid training for community members, including health workers
- Trauma-informed Training for youth and school personnel
- Nontraditional Partnerships
- Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD) & Ochsner Clinic New Orleans East Partnership
Collective impact is more effective in solving complex problems, with the community being a critical factor in long-term success.
- #MentalHealthMoment
- SAMHSA RESOLVE: A New Orleans Initiative
- Community Advisory Board Mini-grants
- MHC 4-Part Radio Series
RESOLVE: A New Orleans Initiative
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded New Orleans Mental Health Collaborative (MHC) partners more than $3.98 million over four years to expand and coordinate trauma-informed community behavioral health resources and services for young people.
The funds will support the RESOLVE New Orleans Project, which focuses on serving youth and families living in communities of chronic poverty most impacted by collective trauma and community violence.
RESOLVE’s New Orleans project will focus on four primary goals:
- Develop and implement a strategic plan for a comprehensive and coordinated trauma-informed behavioral health system led by community stakeholders.
- Expand trauma-informed behavioral health service capacity to serve high-risk youth and families.
- Increase the number of people who work with young people and receive training in trauma-informed care interventions and approaches.
- Expand trained peer supports for youth dealing with community violence and trauma.
2025-2026 RESOLVE NOLA Impact Grants
The RESOLVE New Orleans Project focuses on serving youth and families living in communities of chronic poverty, most impacted by collective trauma and community violence.
Grant recipients include:
- Coalition of Mental Health Professionals for Accessible Support (COMPAS)
- Excite All Stars
- Glam U 101, Inc
- Hope Ignites
- Phoenix Communities of New Orleans
- Puentes New Orleans
- Renewed Minds Counseling & Wellness Solutions
- Saul’s Light
- WeHelp, Inc.
- Youth Initiative
OUTCOMES TO DATE
Since its launch, the initiative has invested $500,000 in community organizations through three rounds of grants, supporting 39 local nonprofits working to improve youth mental health across Orleans Parish. The initiative has also trained more than 3,100 community members, including more than 2,100 mental health professionals and youth-serving staff, in trauma-informed practices; reached more than 115,000 residents through public awareness campaigns, school-based programming and community events; and provided direct behavioral health services to more than 400 young people and families at elevated risk.
The Steering Committee
Steering Committee Members are community leaders from 13 diverse sectors who have an acumen for their profession.
Co-chair: Joe Giarrusso, Councilmember for City of New Orleans
Co-chair: Rochelle Head-Dunham, MD, DFAPA, FASAM, Executive Director and Medical Director of Metropolitan Human Services District
Dr. Jennifer Avegno
City of New Orleans, Health Director
Ms. Jessica Diedling
MPH, PMP Ochsner Health, Associate Program Manager, Community Benefit
Ms. Lisa Gentry
LMSW, MPH Ochsner Health, AVP – Behavioral Health Service Line
Dr. Darvelle Hutchins
New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans, VP Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion
Dr. Julie Kaplow
Trauma and Grief Center, Executive Director
Dr. Brandi Kelly
PhD Louisiana OCDD, Clinical Director
Mr. David Kulick
MPH The Focus Group, Managing Director
Ms. Angela Lockley
Institute for Women and Ethical Studies, Sr. Program Manager of Community Engagement
Mr. Ron McClain
LCSW, JD Institute of Mental Hygiene, Executive Director
Ms. Kristian Mollow
Beacon Behavioral
Ms. Mayra E. Pineda
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, President and CEO
Mr. Michael Williamson
United Way of Southeast Louisiana, President and CEO
Dr. Myo Thwin Myint
Program Director of Fellowship/Residency Training, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) & Triple Board (Peds/Psych/CAP) Programs
Dr. Torin T. Sanders
LCSW Sixth Baptist Church, Pastor and Southern University at New Orleans, Associate Professor of Social Work
Dr. Denese Shervington
MPH Institute for Women and Ethical Studies, Founder & CEO and Tulane School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Professor
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based, early-intervention course that teaches participants about mental health and substance use challenges.
Most people would know how to help if they saw someone having a heart attack — they’d start CPR, or at the very least call 911. But not many people know how to respond if they saw someone having a panic attack or were concerned that a friend or coworker might be showing signs of alcohol use disorder.
Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting these conversations by improving understanding and providing an action plan that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental health or substance use challenge.
When more people are equipped with the tools to start a dialogue, more people can get the help they need. Mental Health First Aiders are a vital link, connecting those experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge with appropriate support.
Free Mental Health First Aid Training in your community!
JOIN & DONATE
To join the collaborative, click here to sign up. You will also be added to our quarterly newsletter.
Please email Melisse Meza, United Way SELA VP of Health and Fund Distribution at MelisseM@UnitedWaySELA.org for information on joining and/or donating to the MHC.