Our mission
About CMHI’s mission: Recognize. Respond. Connect.
CMHI increases mental health literacy, reduces stigma, and prepares trusted community members to recognize challenges, respond compassionately, and connect people with appropriate care.
About CMHI
Mental health literacy belongs in every community.
Learn about CMHI—Christian Mental Health Initiative, a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit equipping churches and communities through faith-based mental health education, training, research, and partnership.
Why faith communities
Trust already lives here.
Churches are often among the first places people turn during crisis, grief, illness, or family stress. CMHI helps that trusted support become informed, safe, and connected to professional care.
Leadership
Built at the intersection of psychiatry, faith, and service.
CMHI was founded by psychiatrist Dr. Atasha Jordan to help faith communities engage mental health with greater knowledge, compassion, and confidence. The organization began by bringing Mental Health First Aid training to Black churches in Philadelphia and continues to expand through partnerships, research, and leadership development.
How we work
About CMHI’s approach to community care.
Evidence and ethics
Training is grounded in established mental health knowledge, clear boundaries, and appropriate referral.
Lived experience
People with lived experience and mental health professionals help shape topics, programs, and community priorities.
Open participation
Programs are open to people of all backgrounds, regardless of religious affiliation.
Meet the team
Meet the people behind CMHI.
CMHI is led by a multidisciplinary team of board members, fellows, volunteers, researchers, clinicians, faith leaders, and community advocates.
Governance
Current board
CMHI’s board brings together clinical, policy, church, nonprofit, and community leadership.
Atasha Jordan, MD, MBA
Founder, Executive Director & Board President
Dr. Jordan is a psychiatrist whose current work focuses on research, CMHI, and patient care through Christian Mental Health Associates. She leads CMHI’s faith-based mental health education, research, partnerships, and community programming.
Alisha Reginal
Secretary
A founding CMHI board member and healthcare strategy advisor whose work spans behavioral health, maternal and child health, health equity, digital health, and policy implementation.
Ernest Daniels Jr.
Board Member at Large
Lead Pastor of Christ Community Church of Philadelphia, bringing experience in spiritual leadership, pastoral care, nonprofit operations, governance, and community engagement.
Bosede Christiana Oyelakin
Board Member at Large
A mental health professional with more than a decade of experience in counseling, psychoeducation, trauma recovery, school counseling, and culturally responsive community advocacy.
Leadership Development Program
Current fellows
Our fellows support program development, funding development, and digital communications while building practical nonprofit leadership experience.
Program Development
Cheryssa Hislop
Program Development Fellow
Cheryssa is a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania and a summa cum laude biology graduate of Oakwood University. Her experience includes community clinic leadership, biomedical research, student mentorship, teaching, and service initiatives that support her work in program development and partnerships.
Amy Amoah, MD
Program Development Fellow
Amy is a resident physician with medical training at the University of South Florida and experience in community health outreach, mentorship, and faith-centered service. She has led CMHI’s Mental Health Response Team rollout and contributed to research on Mental Health First Aid in Black churches.
Chidera Agugua
Program Development Fellow
Chidera is a medical student at All Saints University School of Medicine with experience in community health outreach, advocacy, and student leadership. Her roles with the Association of Women Surgeons and the American Medical Student Association have included educational programming, mentorship, budgeting, and fundraising.
Funding Development
Brianna Ali
Funding Development Fellow — Grants
Brianna is a DO/MPH candidate at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine with a background in psychology, biomedical sciences, and behavioral health counseling. Her experience includes clinical research coordination, grant preparation, and national psychiatry-focused leadership through the Student National Medical Association.
Digital Communications
Deridalna Lafortune
Digital Communications Fellow
Deridalna holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rowan University and has experience in behavioral health, special education, and direct support services. She brings bilingual Haitian Creole communication, school and family engagement, ministry administration, and social media skills to her work with CMHI.
Tameka Lawrence
Digital Communications Fellow
Tameka holds a master’s degree in clinical research from Morehouse School of Medicine and brings experience in behavioral health research, community education, and communications. Her leadership has included service with the Student National Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, along with ministry outreach and digital content creation.
Raag Malhotra
Digital Communications Fellow
Raag is a counseling psychology professional and certified perinatal mental health specialist who founded Moms Inner Journey, a platform for culturally responsive maternal mental health education. She brings experience in individual and group support, professional training, community organizing, and educational content creation for South Asian mothers and families.
Service
Current volunteers
Volunteers extend CMHI’s capacity across church engagement, events, digital communications, research, and fundraising.
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Sola Jolade
Digital Communications Volunteer
Sola is a registered nurse with experience across critical care, telemetry, and hospital float teams, alongside a background in biology and laboratory management.
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Chioma Uka
Volunteer & Research Team Member
Chioma has a background in medical training at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and helps coordinate CMHI’s Mental Health First Aid trainings and faith-community research.
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Jill Koech, MD
Volunteer & Research Team Member
Jill is a physician with experience in student association leadership, event coordination, and English-language teaching, and contributes to CMHI’s quantitative research.
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Caroline Ezekwesili, MD
Volunteer & Research Team Member
Caroline is a physician with a Master of Public Health from Boston University and experience in clinical research coordination, qualitative research, and community health education.
Research
Research team
The team studies how established mental health programs can better fit the cultural, spiritual, and practical realities of Black church communities.
Atasha Jordan, MD, MBA
Principal Investigator
Leads “From Pulpit to Practice,” CMHI’s qualitative study of Mental Health First Aid in Black church leadership and community support.
Research projects & teams
Qualitative Study: MHFA in Black Church Communities
This focus-group study explores how Black church leaders in the Midwest experience Mental Health First Aid training and apply it within their congregations. It examines cultural relevance, alignment with faith, and practical barriers and supports to identify ways training can better serve Black church communities.
Student & Trainee Research Team — Qualitative Analysis
Temitayo Lukan
Tyler Kung
Brianna Ali
Chioma Uka
Chidera Agugua
Quantitative Study: Mental Health Literacy and Stigma
This study compares mental health literacy and attitudes toward mental illness before and immediately after Mental Health First Aid training among 27 Black church leaders in the Midwest. The evaluation examines changes in knowledge and stigma to inform mental health education in faith communities. The manuscript is under review by Health Promotion Practice.
Student & Trainee Research Team — Quantitative Analysis
Jill Koech, MD
Darnell K. Adrian Williams II, MSc
Secondary Qualitative Analysis: Motivations for MHFA
Dr. Atasha Jordan and Amy Amoah, MD, are examining open-ended survey responses about why Black church leaders in the Midwest sign up for Mental Health First Aid. This secondary qualitative analysis explores what leaders hope to learn and how they intend to use that knowledge in their congregations and communities. The work aims to inform outreach and training that reflect faith leaders’ priorities.
Research collaborators
Atasha Jordan, MD, MBA
Amy Amoah, MD
With gratitude
Past volunteers & interns
We are grateful to the volunteers and interns who have helped build CMHI’s programs and community impact.
Adama Fullah
Betsiti Araya, MD
Danielle Daniels
Destiny Stroman, MD
Emma-Lee Furrowh
Erika Anderson, MD
Godgive Umozurike
Jada Jordan
Kafui Eble
Kevin Yan
Khadeejah Franklin
Neami Tervil, DO
Nneanata Echetebu, MD
Sarah I. Fox
Sariane Louis, DO
Vanessa Mackey
William Chen
Want to learn more about CMHI?
Explore our mental health training and programs, or contact our team to discuss volunteering, church partnerships, or community education.