How Cambodian Americans Heal the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma

The Bluemind Foundation is working with mental health professionals to provide training to hairdressers to teach them how to ask open-ended questions, spot nonverbal cues of distress in clients, provide comfort to those experiencing mental health crises and refer them to trained therapists. The goal of the training is to help fill the mental health care gap in an area where counseling is often not accessible or accepted by society. So far, 150 hairdressers have received the training and been dubbed “mental health ambassadors.”

The Peer Support Team at Northwest Fire District connects firefighters with a trained peer support specialist to talk confidentially about mental health. The program also connects firefighters in need with additional resources like therapy and counseling. In an effort to change the mindset most first responders have toward mental health, there are currently 50 trained peer support specialists throughout the state and more than 1,000 across the country.

Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) is an unconventional therapy for treating PTSD without the intense emotional pain of traditional approaches like reliving traumatic memories. Despite barriers like minimal research and skepticism, early evidence suggests patients may be more likely to complete RTM therapy and eliminate their PTSD symptoms quicker than with traditional forms of therapy.

In an effort to promote health and wellness and reduce instances of officer misconduct, the Baltimore Police Departmenr launched a program in 2018 that connects officers with counseling, substance use treatment and other mental and physical health supports. Over the course of the program, more than 250 officers have signed themselves into a voluntary, confidential alcohol addiction program and been able to keep working.

Nonprofits Mixteca, RaisingHealth, and Brave House are providing safe spaces for migrants to receive culturally relevant mental health care through workshops that incorporate cultural traditions and common mental health and self-care practices. The workshops help provide a sense of community and combat the stigma surrounding mental health in the immigrant community.

Street medicine teams across California are bringing therapy directly to unhoused people to address the widespread but overlooked mental health crisis among people experiencing homelessness. These teams conduct flexible, location-based therapy sessions using coping strategies adapted for life on the street, such as journaling and coloring. Multiple patients credit street therapy with helping them stabilize enough to navigate the complex housing application process and maintain housing once obtained.

Communities and states across the U.S. are implementing peer support programs to address first responders' mental health challenges. The most notable comes from the New York City Fire Department, which formalized peer support by training firefighters to support one another rather than relying on outside clinicians. This model has expanded nationwide, with approximately 15,000 International Association of Fire Fighters members now trained in peer support.

Nuci’s Space aims to prevent suicide by providing a safe space for people of all ages, particularly youth, to connect and play music. They also offer affordable practice spaces and mental and physical health care services for participants, including affordable counseling.

Lincoln Literacy addresses language barriers for immigrants and refugees through a volunteer-based ESL program that offers over 100 classes across nine locations in Lincoln, Nebraska. The organization's model includes community classes, workplace partnerships where employers pay for on-site instruction during work hours and a student-centered curriculum that adapts to real-world communication needs. The group has been operating since 1975.

The Zruc Mental Health Team for Children and Young People provides free mental health care to youth in schools in the Czech Republic's Kutna Hora district. These teams of traveling psychologists are making mental health care more accessible by meeting students where they are and are helping to reverse the standard method of labeling children with mental health issues as “problematic,” instead ensuring they get the care they need.