WASHINGTON, D.C. — During this National Mental Health Awareness Month, one program is proving critical help doesn’t have to come with a price tag or a waiting list.
This May, a spotlight on one mission that removes some of the largest barriers to vital help while navigating a mental health crisis: accessibility, affordability and extended support.
“We work with people for a year on getting them back on track,” said Joe Kenney, founder and chairman of the board of Here Tomorrow, a suicide prevention nonprofit based in Jacksonville, Florida.
The goal of every mental health resource or crisis center is to save lives and help people prosper. The same is true at Here Tomorrow- the program is run by a licensed psychologist with the help of dedicated professionals, but the approach is slightly different — one where people aren’t numbers or clients.
“The people we work with — you’d call clients or customers — we call them friends,” Kenney said.
Kenney says the program’s mission is simple, but different than most: immediate, judgment-free suicide prevention support for up to 12 months from people who truly understand — all at no cost, thanks to state grants and individual support.
“We’ll never charge for any of our services to our friends, period,” Kenney said.
After experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal ideation in the U.S., it typically takes 60 days or more to get connected with a licensed therapist.
“I can get you in two days,” Kenney said. “Because I have 50 of them that are under contract with us because they want to be a part of this and that doesn’t exist anywhere.”
For local mental health crises requiring hospital treatment, Kenney said the results speak for themselves.
“We have reduced their return to the hospital by 60%. And if we get them with a licensed therapist, we’ve reduced that to zero,” he said.
As for the feedback so far:
“I’m going to try not to cry for you, but that part is beyond your imagination,” he said.
Witnessing the success stories — from an idea during one of the darkest times in his life — has been profoundly emotional. Kenney lost his son, Gary, to suicide five years ago. Gary’s death left him with a decision to make that would ultimately change his life and thousands of others.
“Five years ago, after my son’s funeral, when I decided that either I was going to take my life and follow him or I would start a program that helped save somebody else’s daughter, somebody else’s son or somebody else’s mother or father,” Kenney said.
Five years after its conception, Here Tomorrow is growing.
“We started with a team of three, five years ago. Our staff is now 35,” said Kenney. “We are just in the process of starting to open up more cities around the country.”
One program, rethinking the approach to mental health treatment at no cost, no wait, and no one turned away.
