REGIONAL IMPACT HEALTH FOUNDATION

WHAT: Regional Impact Health Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded and established over 20 years ago by Dr. Chante Washington with the mission, “Together we transform lives through data-informed programs, initiatives, and services that help and empower individuals, families, and communities to grow to their full potential.” Our aim: to positively impact, empower, and transform lives worldwide by providing various health and social services in-person, by phone and/or virtual formats using self- and community-empowerment and resiliency enhancing strategies. Our primary service focus area is mental health services and homelessness prevention and reduction, with services expanded to other areas, including health promotion, trauma recovery, and economic and social wellbeing.
WHEN: Services resumed 2024. Planned Golf Tournament Fundraiser and community food distributions, 2024. Formal Gala, May 2025 (Mental Health Awareness Month).
WHO: Outreaching/engaging youth, adults, families, Veterans, communities, homeless, service providers, and under-served persons in need of effective services to better their lives.
WHERE: To serve worldwide, in-person, by phone and virtually using Zoom. Primary office located near Atlanta, Georgia.
WHY: Trauma-informed approaches increase a person’s ability to overcome challenging experiences. About one billion people have a mental problem, counting 14% of the world’s adolescents (World Health Organization, 2023). In 2019, 58 million children and adolescents lived with anxiety; 23 million children and adolescents lived with depression (World Health Organization, 2023). Suicide is the second leading cause of death among persons aged 10-14; and third leading cause of death among people aged 15-24 in the U.S. (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2023). Greater resilience, meaning the ability to adapt to challenging times, is linked with lesser depressive symptoms, fewer anxiety levels and improved sleep quality. Empowerment may lead to improved health outcomes and help individuals/communities engage in opportunities that benefit them. Trauma or traumatic experiences include challenging life events such as: health problems, mental health crises, poverty, homelessness, household/neighborhood violence, abuse, neglect, substance use disorders, and mass school shootings. Traumatic experiences are correlated with health and mental health problems. Specifically, homelessness is closely linked with worsened physical and mental health. Homeless individuals experience elevated rates of health problems such as alcohol and drug abuse, mental problems, HIV infection, tuberculosis, and other conditions. Thus, individuals and communities can better overcome and function through life challenges as we serve and empower them using trauma-informed, data-driven approaches and care. Service needs of individuals and families presenting to hospitals, community health centers, schools, homeless shelters, and mental health treatment centers identified the need for trauma-informed comprehensive services. Also, conversations with health providers, law enforcement personnel, community leaders, community members, students, persons impacted by trauma, educators, and national organization members further identified such needs. Our objective: to provide health and social services for those in need and lead community capacity-building using effective case-management approaches, empowerment-enhancing and trauma-informed care and services to improve wellbeing and functioning. Through bettering 1 life at a time, lives and communities transform for the better. HOW: Through interdisciplinary team members and partnered organizations working together to provide the following trauma-informed, data-driven services identified to improve the health and functioning of those served holistically.
Our initial service focus areas are mental health services, and homelessness prevention and reduction to expand and include the following services: 1) Mental Health, including Suicide Prevention and Crisis Stabilization; 2) Substance Use Services; 3) Police Collaboration Mental/Health Initiatives; 4) Homelessness Reduction & Prevention Services; 5) Domestic/Violence Prevention; 6) Health Condition Management & Improvement (e.g., cancer, stroke, heart, diabetes, kidney, neuromuscular disorders, HIV, etc.); 7) Case Management, Outreach; 8) Specialized Referrals including Skills Development (e.g., Food, Clothing, Job, Insurance Assistance) 9) Education and Financial Empowerment; 10) Youth, Individual, Family & Neighborhood Health; 11) Church, School/College, Golf Club, Organization, Barbershops, Nail/Hair Salons, Fraternities/Sororities Collaborations, etc.; 12) Patient Advocacy/Care Navigation; and, 13) Youth, Individual, Family and Community Capacity-Building. Monies needed for: physical office spaces, staff pay, medical supplies, mobile health service unit, food giveaways, office supplies, clothes/food/hygiene kits, client transportation, and more. Please email, visit regionalimpact.org for monetary/other support, donations, collaboration, and/or to join our team.