About MHA Lancaster County
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to promote optimal mental health through advocacy, education, and support.
OUR VISION
A society where mental wellness is the foundation of a healthy community.
We Advocate. We Educate. We Support.
Through our advocacy services we:
- Touch the lives of adults and seniors facing isolation and loneliness.
- Provide one-to-one support to those struggling to find a therapist or afford their medications.
- Engage with schools to assist families and their children with Individualized Education Programs (IEP).
- Offer support to incarcerated individuals and their families.
We provide educational training opportunities:
- To students, teachers, and administrators in our local schools and businesses on important topics such as stress and anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention.
- We host the annual Suicide Prevention Conference each September.
- To churches and faith leaders who want to bring resources to their congregations.
And lastly, we support:
- Those struggling with bipolar disorder, panic and OCD, depression, and suicide loss with our support groups.
- Through our Suicide Prevention Coalition, we tackle the tough topic of “breaking the stigma” and identifying at-risk individuals who are displaying warning signs and arming the people around them with knowledge on those “next steps” in helping them get their loved ones support.
- And so much more!
Our History
Mental Health America of Lancaster-Lebanon Counties, also known as Mental Health Association, is an affiliate of the national organization originally known as the National Mental Health Association (NMHA). NMHA, established in 1909, is the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit dedicated to addressing all aspects of mental health and illness.
Local efforts in Lancaster County began in 1937 to form the Lancaster County Mental Hygiene Association, which eventually became the Mental Health Association of Lancaster County in 1956, after several forward-thinking organizations — including the Community Service Association (now Family Services), the Visiting Nurse Association, Lancaster Medical Group, representatives from local schools and courts, and the Psychology Department at Franklin & Marshall College — began planning the establishment of a clinic to provide psychological and psychiatric services for both children and adults.
As a result of this collaboration, the was formally organized with two primary purposes:
To provide diagnosis and treatment through a clinic for individuals who could not afford the services of a private psychiatrist.
To educate the public and promote understanding of mental illness.
We would go on to become Mental Health America of Lancaster County in 2007, following the national organization’s change from the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) to Mental Health America (MHA) in 2006.
In late 2025, the organization expanded its advocacy services to now serve Lebanon County. This expansion marked the transition to Mental Health America of Lancaster-Lebanon Counties, reflecting a broader regional commitment to mental health advocacy and support.
