Help someone start therapy now
 

Your gift covers therapy sessions for people who need support today, so they don’t face long waitlists, insurance hurdles or financial strain.

Many therapists who take insurance are full, have long waitlists, or aren’t the right fit. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. The relationship between client and therapist is what makes it work, and finding the right match should be easy.
 

Three barriers stand between people and care
 

1. Access: when and where someone can be seen.

2. Cost: whether they can afford it.

3. Expertise: whether the therapist is trained for what they’re facing.
    

The Cardinal Foundation works on all three:
 

• We train clinicians, mostly through group practices in Buford and Gwinnett County.

• We make quality care affordable for new clients.

• We help clinicians launch practices in rural Georgia, where there aren’t enough counselors for the people who live there.
   

What your donation does
 

• Covers therapy for Georgians in need. Each time we reach a donation milestone, more people in Georgia communities get up to 12 outpatient therapy sessions through our clinician network.

• Trains the next generation of therapists. Graduate students and associate-licensed clinicians can get sponsorships for advanced, evidence-based training such as Brainspotting (Phase 1 or 2), EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
   

How big is the need?
 

Data from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Georgia Department of Public Health shows:
 

• 1.4 million Georgia adults have a mental illness each year.

• Only 41% of them get treatment.

• 28% of Georgia adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression.

• 76% of Georgia counties are Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

• Rural counties average one mental health provider per 4,000 residents.

• Youth mental health ER visits rose 163% from 2019 to 2024.

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Georgians ages 10–34.
   

What’s next: 2027
 

In 2027 we’ll begin training clinicians and placing them in underserved rural counties, starting with Gilmer County. The federal government has identified Gilmer County as high-risk after decades of unmet local need for mental health care. More on the Gilmer County project soon.

The Cardinal Foundation plans to host a few fundraising annual events. The first of which is a fishing tournament on Lake Lanier. More details here.  Volunteer, Sponsorship, and Team Entry is OPEN. Email for additional support.