Dear friend,

Each year millions of Americans and American families struggle with mental health and addiction disorders. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness (57.8 million in 2022), including over 14.1 million with severe mental health disorders. The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that over 48.7 million American adults (aged 12 and older) battle a substance use disorder, up 143.5% from the 20 million previously reported by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) in 2020.

When looking at the reasons many people do not seek and/or receive

professional treatment for mental health and addiction disorders, two things immediately come to the forefront:

1. The stigma surrounding mental health and addiction disorders; and

2. The availability of professional services, specifically in rural and underserved communities.

By supporting the NBCC Foundation's scholarship and capacity-building programs, you can help bridge the gap in mental health services

for military veterans and underserved communities around the country and world.

I challenge all mental health counselors, counseling students, NBCC Fellows and stakeholders, supporters of the NBCC Foundation, and those who want to Ride with Us to contribute $8 to the NBCC Foundation as a part of the 8-for-8 Challenge.

It is my hope that those who contribute $8 (or more if you are able) will ask eight other people to contribute $8 and so on.

All donations are tax-deductible and 100% of donations directly support the NBCC Foundation's Scholarship Program, which provides much needed educational funds to future counselors committed to bringing mental health resources to military veterans and their families, and members of underserved communities in rural populations.

Please consider riding with me by supporting the 8-for-8 Challenge.

Thanks for riding with us to Anchorage, Alaska and back,

Dr. Robert A. Horne, NCC, ACS, LCMHC, LCAS, ICAADC

The NBCC Foundation leverages the power of counseling to advance global health equity through expanded access to counseling and mental health services.  Scholarships, fellowships, and capacity-building grants, are our primary tools for accomplishing our objectives. The Foundations strategy is to award scholarships to individuals pursuing careers as professional counselors who are affiliated with high-priority populations and commit to serving them after graduation. Capacity-building grants fund expansion efforts to increase mental health resources in rural and minority communities where access to mental health care is extremely limited.

Since 2010, the NBCC Foundation has awarded over $1,352,000 in scholarships and over $9,000,000 in grant funded fellowships to master's- and doctoral-level counseling students committed to working with underserved communities around the world. 

Help us continue to support counselors and future counselors bridge the gap in mental health services for those most in need. 

To learn more about our programs and our current scholars and fellows, visit our website.