About the Founder

Hi, I’m Jessica.

I am a writer, coach, community builder and a Mental Health First Aid certified advocate based in Baltimore, MD. I am also the first Lois Blum Feinblatt Mental Health Community Fellow at Open Society Institute-Baltimore.

The Mental Health Emergency Fund, Inc. (MHEF) started as an idea to give back to others who may be experiencing similar things I was going through. I self-funded a year-long mental health sabbatical in 2019 when I was experiencing extreme mental health challenges that impeded my ability to work and function normally. During that time, I leaned fully into therapy, medical treatment, meditation, prayer and other avenues to keep me going.

The Mental Health Emergency Fund, Inc. exists to reduce financial barriers impeding community members from accessing quality mental health care. Currently, our target market is marginalized people groups in the Baltimore area that are on the verge of or experiencing a mental health crisis, who have access to less than $1000 in an emergency fund. We provide stipends for them to access therapy and other mental health services. There is an application process and depending on how much funding we have to give, we have awarded mental health stipends in the amounts of $1000, $500, and $250 to individual applicants. Money is to be used on talk therapy or other holistic wellness practices. We are also building out a therapy directory of mostly BIPOC therapists that serve clients in the Greater Baltimore area.