MHA Mission Statement
Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc. (MHA) seeks to promote the positive mental health and emotional well-being of Orange County residents, working towards reducing the stigma of mental illness, developmental disabilities, and providing support to victims of sexual assault and other crimes. In partnership with service recipients, families, volunteers and the community, MHA strives to fulfill its mission through culturally competent advocacy, direct services, public education, and responsiveness in times of community emergency.
The MHA family shares a system of values and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence and contributions of all diverse groups. We believe that every person is to be treated with dignity, respect, compassion and acceptance.
MHA is an Active Member of WELCOME Orange
WELCOME Orange is a collaboration of agencies and organizations whose doors are always open to welcome members of the community. Each agency and organization provides a welcoming environment for the people they support. This initiative provides the opportunity for a seamless experience in engaging with the agencies and organizations throughout the system. This collaboration provides the opportunity for participating agencies to partner in identifying common goals and best practices, as well as in speaking with one voice. As a result, the people that come to these agencies for assistance have improved access in a welcoming environment, resulting in better outcomes. WELCOME Orange will encourage leadership and collaboration of multidisciplinary partners to enhance healthy living in Orange County. WELCOME Orange is committed to providing a hopeful, welcoming, person-centered approach to meet individuals’ needs by collaborating and connecting people to resources for healthy living that lead to achieving their desired goals.
Vision For Culturally Equitable Services
MHA defines “Culture” as the distinctive spiritual, intellectual, emotional and material traditions and features of a people, and “Equitable” as meaning fair and just. As a matter of principle, then, all cultures had the inherent right to develop, expecting fair and just treatment in relationship to all other cultures. However, historically non -European cultures (Native American, African, Asian, Polynesian, Latin American, etc.) and non- conventional groups (LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, individuals who are homeless, Muslim, Jewish and other non-Christian communities, etc.) have not received a fair share of resources. As a result, it is MHA’s goal to understand circumstances effecting fair access to resources, healthcare, education, livelihood, full participation in the governmental process and inclusive community life.
In order to achieve Cultural Equity, MHA works to redress, decrease and ultimately eliminate historic imbalances in favor of European and traditional groups. MHA believes that cultural equity is fundamental to providing quality services that promote individual and family strengths, dignity and self-reliance. Cultural equity broadens and enriches the delivery of services by providing a more holistic, relevant view of the world and the helping process. Cultural equity does not stand apart from but is intrinsic to good service practices. Cultural equity demands an ongoing commitment to openness and learning, taking time and taking risks, sitting with uncertainty and discomfort, and not having quick solutions or easy answers. It involves building trust, mentoring, developing and nurturing a frame of reference that considers alliances across cultures as enriching rather than threatening.
