Our Mission

To promote and facilitate mental wellness in the communities we serve.

Our Story

Established in 1964 when local citizens came together to create the first mental health clinic in the region, the Mental Health Association of Fauquier County (MHAFC) is a grassroots, nonprofit, advocacy and action group that works to increase awareness of mental health and substance use, decrease the stigma often associated with mental illness and addiction, and improve access to behavioral health treatment and supports. The Mental Health Association is an affiliate of Mental Health America.

Commemorating 60 years! View our virtual exhibit.

  • MHAFC has a strong history of service and collaboration including key partnerships with the Fauquier County Public Schools to address the needs of at-risk students, the Fauquier Free Clinic to provide mental health services to their patients, and local law enforcement to address the opioid epidemic. To see a full list of the organizations we collaborate with, visit our Community Partners page.

  • MHAFC is currently providing leadership to several community-wide efforts including:

    1. The Youth and Family Initiative through which 25+ organizations are working to address drug use and mental health issues among local young people and support families with information and resources,

    2. A planning effort to integrate behavioral health with medical care and expand access to behavioral health care through tele-counseling and telepsychiatry,

    3. The region’s Mental Health Collaborative which brings together leaders from partner organizations to set community-wide goals to improve behavioral health and track progress toward those goals.

    • Maintains a database of local resources and provides information and referral services to help residents find appropriate help,

    • Provides Mental Health First Aid and other education programs to the community,

    • Organizes workshops and conferences for professionals and community members on topics like “Treating Anxiety in Children” and “Treating Opioid Addiction,”

    • Hosts data-gathering efforts like the 2019 PRIDE Survey of mental health and substance use among local youth, and

    • Hosts bi-annual Community Dialogues on Mental Health and Substance Use to get input from the community on concerns and recommendations for solutions.

The Mental Health Association of Fauquier County (MHAFC) affirms that a mentally healthy community must ensure that all of its members are safe, heard, valued, and treated equitably. Because our vision is to help create a caring community where everyone is able to live a healthy and fulfilling life, we condemn racism of all kinds: personal, interpersonal, and institutional. MHAFC will work proactively to use compassion as a tool to foster understanding, to identify bias, to build equity, and to fight against the perpetuation of racism in our community.

Our Team

  • Bridget Downey

    Programs and Events Manager

  • Renee Norden

    Executive Director

  • Christine Craddock

    Communication and Outreach Manager

Board of Directors