Agency Highlights     Helpline Referrals   Area Impact

Mental Health America of Fredericksburg, founded in 1955 by local citizens, is our community's oldest nonprofit 501©(3) charitable organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness.

Serving the Rapphannock area for over five decades, MHAF exists to improve the lives of people with mental health problems by providing advocacy, education and services that improve access to quality mental health treatment and services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the uninsured and elderly. Every year nearly 1800 people call MHAF seeking help and asking "where do I turn?" Our job is to help them find that help so they can enjoy fulfilling, productive lives at home and at work.

As a catalyst for enhanced access to mental health treatment and services, MHAF identifies emerging trends and unmet needs through its Mental Health HelpLine, builds coalitions to address gaps in services, and advocates to secure funding streams for "incubator" programs created collaboratively to serve unmet needs.

The MHAF provides education, advocacy and service to all people with mental health needs. We educate to promote mental health awareness and understanding. We solve problems by advocating policies and by working with individuals and agencies in the community to respond to mental health problems and to meet needs. We identify gaps unmet by public and private mental health providers and insurers, and we create and incubate programs and funding to meet those needs.

MHAF envisions a just, humane and healthy society in which all people are accorded respect, dignity and the opportunity to achieve their full potential free of stigma and prejudice.