Celia Thomas is chief operating officer at Alternatives for Girls, a Detroit-based nonprofit organization that helps girls and young women at risk of violence and homelessness access the support and resources they need to grow and make positive choices for their lives.
She’s also an honoree of the inaugural Leonard W. Smith Mental Health Hero Award from the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation. We caught up with Thomas to learn more about her, the work she does, and her thoughts on this award.
Q: How does it feel to be recognized as a Leonard W. Smith Mental Health Hero?
Thomas: Oh my goodness! I’m surprised. I’ve always tended to be someone in the background and just taking a huge leadership and supportive role — and to have such an award is pretty amazing.
Q: I’m sure there are lots of heartwarming success stories at Alternatives for Girls in the past 37 years. Is there anything you want people to know that they may not know?
Thomas: There are so many. In our after-school programming we had a family of, I believe it was six girls with a young mom, a single parent. They all made it through our program and one of them became a Detroit city council person. I could go on and on.
Q: The Leonard W. Smith Mental Health Hero award comes with something unique — a month-long break to “relax, restore and return refreshed and re-energized.” How do you plan to spend this time?
Thomas: We leaders tend to be highly motivated, hugely focused and just moving, moving to get an agenda completed. Our roles tend to be very demanding and most of us are totally invested in the organization’s mission. And, for many of us, it’s our lifetime mission as well, to be responsive to people in need, to move agendas related to the human services field and those related to what we call the social determinants of health, for example.
So when I contemplated a break initially I thought really? What does that look like, exactly? I have to be honest. For me, most times when I take a vacation, the laptop goes with me. I tell my staff that I need about three days to calm down and then be on vacation. And I need a day and a half to ramp back up. So to have a month off is huge for someone like me. It’s huge!
It gives me that opportunity, that window to shut it down and literally focus on nothing. Nothing. Which means rest, relaxation and restoration.
I plan to leave the country. I am an immigrant from Jamaica, the Caribbean, and I don’t get home a lot since my parents are gone. So I plan to just go home and sit there. We don’t have internet, and that’s OK.
Q: Why do you think a break is good for mental health?
Thomas: When you think about sleep and the impact that has on the brain and the body, it’s huge. I firmly believe that having the chance to totally shut down the brain, having the chance to not think about the things that bring income and, even in the best sense, the mission — just to shut down is really rejuvenating. Having the chance to sleep, achieve deep sleep more frequently, it’s all contributing to mental health and wellness.
Q: What do you think girls today need in order to be the strong women of tomorrow?
Thomas: I definitely believe that there are inequities in our society today that lend themselves to challenges for girls and young women. They need safety, people they can connect with, to talk to, to listen, to play with, to just be around who can echo and support their feelings and help them trust and believe that things will get better over time. They need safety; they need stability.
Q: What is your best personal asset that you bring to your role?
Thomas: I always heard I was like my dad. He never met a stranger. He could get along with business owners and the man pushing a coconut cart on the street. This is a trait that I’ve absolutely inherited — the ability to meet people where they are. I show up as a leader and I’m never afraid of being a follower.
Q: What do you do regularly to care for your own mental health?
Thomas: Over the past 10 years, I’ve really focused on allowing myself to just be in the moment, wherever that is, whatever that is, to catch the teeny, tiny moments so I can restore and rejuvenate. I’ve leaned into that more over the last 10 years than I did in the — let’s be real — four decades before that.
Alternatives for Girls (AFG) is a Detroit-based nonprofit established over 37 years ago as a community-driven response to rising concerns about young girls in vulnerable situations. Initially formed to address issues such as exploitation, homelessness and lack of access to education, AFG has evolved into a comprehensive support system for at-risk girls and young women. Its mission focuses on empowering them to make positive choices and achieve their potential.
AFG’s core programs include outreach, prevention programs, shelter services, early childhood education and housing stability. Through these efforts, AFG has transformed countless lives, helping girls and young women achieve safety, stability and success.
Learn more about the Leonard W. Smith Mental Health Hero Award and each of the inaugural honorees at flinnfoundation.org.
For more than two decades, Nicole Wilson has been at the heart of The Yunion, a Detroit-based nonprofit devoted to uplifting underserved youth and families. Recognized as a Leonard W. Smith Mental Health Hero by the Flinn Foundation, Wilson sees the honor not only as a celebration of her leadership but as a moment to reflect, recharge, and reaffirm her mission.
We asked Wilson what it means personally and professionally to be recognized as a Mental Health Hero.
Q: What is your role at The Yunion?
Wilson: I have had the pleasure of serving as executive director at The Yunion for the past 21 years. We are an agency that loves youth and families, and are committed to serving children that are underserved. We’re committed to giving resources to parents that are under-resourced, and that our goal is to have healed youth and fortified families that will lead to cultivating a strong community.
Q: Why do you think the youth of Detroit need The Yunion?
Wilson: The youth of Detroit need The Yunion because no matter where, they need love. We provide for them. We provide love and support and genuine care for their lives and their outcomes. They need The Yunion because unfortunately, many of the youth that we serve are primarily at a low poverty-level income for their families. And with that comes a lot of societal risks for them. We are an organization that stands in the gap for those.
Q: Can you share a success story about the youth served by The Yunion?
Wilson: One of the things that I can point to is our Keys 2 Life performing arts summer camp. It’s a very intensive program, very fast paced, over six weeks. Many of the students come in very shy, very timid. At the end we have a big, professionally produced performance. The kids are, by the end of that performance, smiling, laughing, literally shining with so much confidence, so much self-esteem. Parents come to me and say ‘thank you — my child has transformed before my eyes.’
Q: Something people might not know is you are a registered nurse. What led to you becoming a nurse?
Wilson: I always knew that whatever I was supposed to do from a very young age, it was supposed to be in a field of caring. I started off in pre-med, but I just knew I wanted to be more of a caregiver. And so I’ve always loved and had a passion for caring for those that needed to be cared for.
Q: You work closely with your husband, Jason Wilson, who is the face of The Yunion. What is that like?
Wilson: [Laughs] I tell people this all the time: Jason and I have been married for 26 years and the secret to our marriage and the secret to us working together and sustaining our marriage is distance. We often don’t even see each other throughout the day. And, we have learned that being able to come home and share with your spouse or your partner, ‘Guess what happened to me today?’ is important.
So our secret is there are three stories in our building. Jason resides on the third story. And I reside on the first. So there’s a layer in the middle that literally is the key. We don’t bring it home with us.
Q: What does it mean to you to be recognized by the Flinn Foundation as a Leonard W. Smith Mental Health Hero?
Wilson: I was so honored. I was happy because I felt seen and heard and acknowledged — not only as a leader, but as just Nicole Wilson, as a woman, as a Black woman. And the moment was not lost on me that four Black women were acknowledged for their work in this field.
Q: This award comes with something unique — a break. What plans do you have?
Wilson: I have a sticky note on the wall of my desk that I put on there probably the first week in 2024. And it says one word: REST. I love to cook. I’m a pretty good cook. My plan is to travel to Italy and, in different regions of Italy, I would like to take cooking classes. I plan on trying to take a full month off to take that trip and to sleep — and to delegate to my more-than-capable team members while I’m gone.
Q: How do you think this break will contribute to your mental health?
Wilson: Being able to identify and acknowledge that I am worthy of it and deserving of it is going to do wonders for my mental health. I know that I’ll come back as a better leader. I know that I’ll come back as a better servant. But more importantly, honestly — I’ll come back as a better Nicole for Nicole.
Q: What do you do on a regular basis for your own mental health?
Wilson: Journaling, meditating, praying, of course — it’s key for me. I pray throughout the day. My relationship with God is my base. It’s extremely important to me.
About The Yunion: The Yunion is a faith-based nonprofit organization in Detroit dedicated to empowering underserved youth and families. Through innovative programs in prevention, education, parental engagement, mentoring and counseling, The Yunion addresses negative cultural influences and fosters community strength. Over the years, it has positively impacted more than 15,000 young individuals in Metro Detroit, collaborating with numerous schools, community organizations, and churches to create environments where youth can thrive. Signature programs include The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy (CATTA) and Keys 2 Life, a life skills and music mentoring initiative — and many others.
Learn more about the Leonard W. Smith Mental Health Hero Award and each of the inaugural honorees at flinnfoundation.org.
Zack Stoycoff, executive director of the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative in Tulsa, Oklahoma attended the Grant Makers in Health summit in Portland, Oregon in June 2024 and learned about Michigan’s Wayne County Behavioral Health Diversion Program.
One thing led to another. After the session, which was led by Chief Judge Freddie Burton, Jr., of Wayne County Probate Court, and Sheryl Kubiak, Ph.D., dean and director of the Wayne State University School of Social Work Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, Stoycoff recognized that his team could learn more about the diversion program on a scheduled upcoming visit to Detroit.
The Tulsa delegation of 25 added a day onto their October 2024 visit specifically to learn from the Wayne County Behavioral Health Collaborative (WCBHC).
“It was fortuitous. (The delegation’s visit) was not arranged solely around this, but it was an opportunity to repeat the presentation that the group did in Portland, here in Detroit,” says Nanci Hambrick, Wayne County initiative Manager at Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at the Wayne State University School of Social Work.
The WCBHC is the result of years of partnership among local organizations, including the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Detroit Police Department, Wayne County Probate Court, Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, Wayne County Commission, and the Wayne State University School of Social Work.
Guided by the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at the Wayne State University School of Social Work, this initiative strengthens the county’s behavioral health network, promoting inclusive, equitable support for individuals and families. The Flinn Foundation supports this collaborative effort to drive lasting, positive change.
“As engaged as we all are in this work, it’s really nice to know that our efforts might be replicated in other places across the country,” says Kubiak in a Wayne State release about the event. “We really believe in the work that we’re doing, and in teamwork, and in the results that we’ve seen.”
While the needs of Tulsa may not match the needs of Wayne County, sharing experiences is an important exercise when the goal is positive change.
“They were very interested in next steps in how to do collaborative data sharing work,” Hambrick says of the Tulsa delegation. The collaborative in Wayne County has made positive steps, with more work forthcoming.
“What we got from it is there are some examples we were able to provide of work and outcomes that can come from collaboration, and there are also some opportunities to learn that there are some universal struggles when bringing together people with different needs and interests when trying to create a strong collaborative,” Hambrick says.
The gathering also featured a panel discussion moderated by Andrea Cole, Flinn Foundation president and CEO. Presenters included Dean Kubiak; Detroit Police Department Captain Tonya Leonard; Chief Robert Dunlap, jail administrator for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Judge Burton, Jr., who also serves as chair of the board of trustees for the Flinn Foundation.
Other members of the WCBHC executive committee include Chairwoman Alisha Bell of the Wayne County Commission and leadership from Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
“What we heard was a really impressive array of coordination happening around public safety and mental health in Detroit,” says Stoycoff in the Wayne State release. “We’ve got some really great things going on in Tulsa that we’re proud of as well, but we look forward to taking these lessons home with us.”
Learn more about Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at the Wayne State University School of Social Work.
October 2024 was a big month for brainstorming, planning and strategizing at the behavioral health/criminal legal intersection in Wayne County. In a two-session event hosted by the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at the Wayne State University School of Social Work, delegates explored critical intervention mapping (CIM) for youth justice to understand the effect of youth justice on families.
The event, sponsored by the Flinn Foundation, was held at The Henry in Dearborn and took place on October 2 and October 16, 2024. In attendance were 40-50 key stakeholders from Wayne County involved in youth justice and representing the court, education, care management, community health networks and individuals with lived experience, among others.
Moderating the event was Tyler Logan, founder and CEO of Black in Public Health. Logan’s work is at the intersection of public health, philanthropy and the criminal-legal system to mitigate health disparities in BIPOC, justice-involved and youth populations, According to the Critical Intervention Mapping for Youth Justice event program.
The term “critical intervention mapping” refers to the steps through which youth can travel when they come into contact with law enforcement, explains Nanci Hambrick, Wayne County Initiative Manager at Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at the Wayne State University School of Social Work. Her role in the CIM for Youth Justice event is to bring people together and facilitate conversations, so that action can be taken.
As a visual of the continuum, Hambrick describes a ruler: zero to two inches are community supports, two to four are the point a youth comes into contact with law enforcement, four to six are if they have to go to court, six to eight are if they get detained, eight to 12 are reentry into the community.
“(CIM) is looking at the different places youth could potentially be deflected from going further on the ruler,” she says. If, for example, a police officer who is called out to a family home for a domestic situation can connect the youth to a social worker to de-escalate and help the family into supportive services, the youth is not moving to the next step on the ruler, which is detention.
“There are all these points along the way, and the goal is to divert and deflect youth from getting further down into that system because once you’re in, it’s really hard to get out,” Hambrick says, adding that once a youth is in the legal system, there’s not as much room to affect change. The effort, then, is a focus on early intervention as well as supportive reentry.
With teen behavioral and mental health in the U.S. at an all-time high, delegates are drilling down to Wayne County to assess available resources and gaps, especially in giving individuals agency over what they want and need as resources.
“What I like about this (event) is taking a step back to let the people working in the systems identify what that is and really engaging — rather than coming with a top-down solution, which is much more typical,” Hambrick says.
Hambrick says there’s power in gathering people together to have these important conversations, and, she says, the Flinn Foundation is on board with this practice. “They want data-driven and evidence-based practices, but they also understand and value this part of it,” she explains.
“What I find so valuable is that understanding that change theory is building the consensus before you can come up with everything else. The more I work in this field, the more deeply I appreciate that.”
Learn more about the initiatives of the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice at the Wayne State University School of Social Work at wayne.edu.
In a luncheon ceremony at Ford Field on October 15, 2024, Andrea Cole was recognized for her longstanding commitment to improving the availability of evidence-based mental health services for those who live in southeast Michigan.
Cole was honored for her work as President and CEO of The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation, receiving the Eleanor Josaitis “Unsung Hero” Award for her work in the mental health space.
“I feel honored to receive this award,” Cole says.
The Unsung Hero Award recognizes individuals who work outside the limelight to encourage collaboration among groups for the well-being and betterment of southeast Michigan — and is one of the Shining Light Awards that recognizes the importance of regional cooperation.
The Shining Light Awards’ focus on connection and collaboration is appropriate because it describes Cole’s work with the Flinn Foundation — and how she came to be nominated for the award.
When he was considering nominating Cole, Jack Kresnak, a former Detroit Free Press journalist and current Flinn Foundation Board Trustee, drew on considerable background gained during his 10-year Urban Health Initiative fellowship designed to study systems change to benefit child welfare and juvenile justice. He learned how influential public-private partnership can be in improving outcomes for kids — and recognized the importance of collaboration.
“Since joining the Flinn Foundation as a trustee in 2013, I watched Andrea Cole work tirelessly and quietly behind the scenes to get the major actors addressing the needs of people with mental health conditions to work together to improve the lives of thousands of people and their families,” Kresnak says.
“I grew to admire Andrea’s tenacity, good-humor and knowledge to bring people together to make Michigan a leader in meeting the needs of those people. The TRAILS program which Andrea spearheaded is just one of the many improvements in the behavioral health systems in our state,” he adds.
In his professional career, Kresnak was impacted by the friendship and mentorship of Eleanor Josaitis, for whom the “Unsung Hero” Award was named. When the awards launched in 2007, Kresnak says he began thinking of people he could nominate.
“Andrea was on the top of my list, but I waited a few years before nominating her and soliciting letters of support from board members and others who worked with her,” he says.
The light that shines on Cole’s work lifts the mission of the Flinn Foundation because it helps reduce stigma related to mental health, making it easier for people to get help and live successful lives, Kresnak says.
“Because of Andrea, the Flinn Foundation is now known as the go-to entity to guide organizations into collaborations to make long-lasting change,” he says. “We are a small Foundation and, as I said in my nominating letter, Flinn is ‘punching above its weight’ due to Andrea’s leadership.”
In addition to her work at the Flinn Foundation, Cole also serves as Board Chair of TRAILS, Board Treasurer of Grantmakers in Health, Board Treasurer of Mindful Philanthropy and as Co-Chair with the Michigan Justice Fund.
On October 1, 2024, Andrea Cole of the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation spoke at the Youth Transition Funders Group (YTFG) to highlight mental health-focused initiatives in southeast Michigan.
Based in Westchester County, New York, YTFG is a national network of funding organizations dedicated to supporting the well-being and economic success of vulnerable youth, ages 14-25. YTFG is a community for about 100 funders and provides opportunities for organizations to learn from each other and stay up-to-date on key initiatives and policy developments related to the success of youth and young adults.
At the fall meeting held in Detroit, local, regional and national groups came together to share successes and highlight innovative efforts.
Through her discussion with attendees, Cole shared information about TRAILS, a key mental health initiative launched through funding from the Flinn Foundation. TRAILS brings evidence-based mental health strategies to the school setting. Through a three-tiered model, TRAILS provides social and emotional learning, cognitive behavioral therapy and suicide prevention to support the emotional health of Michigan students, as well as identify and care for those with existing mental health conditions.
“I’m always excited when I get to share information about the success of TRAILS,” Cole says. “It’s also so gratifying to illustrate the impact grantmaking organizations like the Flinn Foundation can have on the mental health of youth.”
Learn more about the work of the Youth Transition Funders Group and about the impact of TRAILS.
The Flinn Foundation is proud to celebrate its Board of Trustees Chairman, The Honorable Freddie G. Burton, Jr., for being named the 2024 recipient of the esteemed Treat Award for Excellence by the National College of Probate Judges (NCPJ).
Chief Judge Burton, who serves as the Chief Judge of Wayne County Probate Court (WCPC), is recognized for his groundbreaking creation of the court’s Behavioral Health Unit (BHU).
In launching the BHU, Chief Judge Burton has brought together a coalition of stakeholders — including mental health providers, hospitals, law enforcement, and government agencies — creating a collaborative approach that has yielded both cost savings and improved service delivery for Wayne County residents.
The unit focuses on addressing the needs of individuals with significant mental illness, providing assisted outpatient treatment, and successfully reducing jail overcrowding. His efforts have transformed how the court interacts with individuals suffering from mental illness, ensuring they receive proper treatment rather than incarceration.
The BHU has become a model for courts and agencies across Michigan and beyond, demonstrating how judicial leadership can enhance mental health services while promoting public safety.
“Helping hundreds of individuals get the treatment they need to stay in recovery and avoid incarceration, hospitalization, and homelessness exemplifies the value and impact of judicial leadership,” writes Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth T. Clement in a letter congratulating Judge Burton on his achievement, according to a release shared by Michigan Courts.
Andrea Cole, President and CEO of the Flinn Foundation, expressed the organization’s pride in Chief Judge Burton’s accomplishments.
“Chief Judge Burton’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to improving mental health outcomes in our community are inspiring. His work with the Behavioral Health Unit has not only provided essential services to vulnerable individuals but also created a model of care that other jurisdictions can follow. We are immensely proud to have him as our Board Chair and extend our heartfelt congratulations on this well-deserved honor,” says Cole.
This prestigious award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the improvement of law or judicial administration, is a testament to Chief Judge Burton’s tireless work in transforming mental health services within the criminal justice system. The award was announced on October 10, 2024, to coincide with World Mental Health Day.
Chief Judge Burton joins an illustrious group of past recipients of the Treat Award, including the late United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and his former WCPC colleague, Hon. Milton L. Mack, Jr. This recognition not only highlights Chief Judge Burton’s local impact but also positions him as a leader in national conversations about mental health and the law.
The Flinn Foundation congratulates Chief Judge Burton on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to his continued work in improving the lives of individuals with mental illness through compassionate, innovative leadership.
Charita Cole Brown had overcome the most challenging parts of her bipolar diagnosis and had even written a book about her experiences before she connected with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Maryland, where she lives.
Brown’s memoir, Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life, shares her experiences of receiving her diagnosis while in her final year at Wesleyan University. Since that time, Brown has discovered what she needs to thrive. Her book is an inspiration to those whose lives are affected by bipolar disorder.
As a board member of NAMI Maryland, Brown continues to inspire and support individuals with mental health challenges.
“I wanted to be part of an organization that was intentionally helping to support other people so they could live well,” says Brown.
Through the many different programs at NAMI, individuals can learn more about mental health challenges, whether they are experiencing them or are a supportive family member.
From basic information courses to family-to-family support groups and peer support groups, Brown says some NAMI education programs are consistent from chapter to chapter. What she might find in Maryland, others may be able to find in Detroit, for instance.
“The reason NAMI can do so much is because people volunteer their time to be part of this,” she says.
In a short NAMI YouTube documentary series called Strength Over Silence: Stores of Courage, Culture and Community, Brown talks about her experience with mental health in the Black community in a segment called “Shattering Racial Stereotypes.”
“Black people, especially Black women, were always expected to be strong,” she says in the video, describing the stereotype of a Black woman who takes care of others, “and all the while, she’s smiling.”
Despite her reluctance to dredge up all the issues that come with a bipolar disorder diagnosis, Brown says she recognized that she was living well. She knew it was time to share her experiences through her memoir, Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life.
“If one person could get hope from my story and be encouraged to live well, then let’s write the book,” she thought. Her degree in English helped her accomplish this goal.
When she connected with NAMI in 2015, she says she heard people “tell powerful stories of what NAMI had done for them and what NAMI had done for their mental health.”
She knew the power of her own story and had a desire to be part of a grassroots volunteer organization where people shared their lived experiences with mental health.
“I learned from NAMI that it’s OK not to be OK and there is a community of people that are waiting to help you,” she says.
Learn more about Charita Cole Brown and purchase her book, Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life at chartiacolebrown.com. Read the first article in this series about Charita Cole Brown and learn about how her wellness plan helps her thrive on the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation website.