Institute of Mental Hygiene

**MISSION** - IMH’s mission is to promote optimal mental health for children and their families in New Orleans. **CORE VALUES** - IMH believes that mental health must be defined broadly and recognizes that the development of optimal mental health (sometimes referred to as social-emotional development) is affected by many factors. - We believe that it is important to build on successes by promoting best practices and innovative approaches that offer promise. - We believe that issues of race and culture affect mental health and the provision of services and should be addressed. - We believe that our grants should support programs that intentionally and specifically address the social-emotional development of low-income, and/or underserved children and their families in Orleans parish. - We believe that early intervention and prevention are the most effective approaches to promoting optimal mental health in children and their families in our community. - We believe that families are fundamental to their children’s social and emotional development and should be supported in their parenting. **STRATEGIC PRIORITIES** - To add mental health services to existing programs that serve children and their families in New Orleans. - To leverage our funds through partnering with other organizations that are interested in adding mental health services to their existing programs. - To help build bridges between providers in low-income communities with universities and other mainstream mental health and child-serving institutions, and to encourage community voices in conversations about mental health. - To build mental health leadership capacity in the community. - To support efforts related to advocacy, infrastructure development and improving the organizational effectiveness of mental health groups in New Orleans.