Vision, Mission, and Values
For all people in Texas.Vision
All people in Texas thrive in communities that support mental health and well-being.
We envision a future in which all people in Texas thrive in communities that support mental health, achieve health equity, and promote well-being. This means that the extent to which people are connected to resilient communities that support their mental health is not determined by where they live, how much schooling they have, how much they earn, what they look like, what language they speak, who they love, or how they worship; that people feel safe in their neighborhoods and experience a sense of control over their own lives; and that a broad array of institutions, programs, and services are designed with mental health and well-being in mind.
Mission
To transform how communities promote mental health in everyday life.
Because mental health is not just an individual responsibility but also is a product of community conditions, the places where people live, learn, work, play, and pray can have a significant impact on improving mental health. While mental health conditions can be exacerbated by medical or clinical barriers, such as a scarcity of mental health professionals, many poor outcomes also stem from challenging environmental factors like housing instability, lack of neighborhood infrastructure, and difficult conditions at home, work, and/or school.
Mental health should be promoted beyond the walls of health clinics and integrated into our everyday lives– into our conversations, actions, decisions, and responsibilities. Community members, leaders, and professionals– from teachers and preachers, to police officers and judges-–should understand the importance of mental health and the factors that influence it. Children should be supported by their families, teachers, peers, counselors, and administrators in ways that enhance social connection and resiliency. The foundation will take an inclusive approach to supporting mental health in which communities, particularly those that have been historically marginalized or excluded, take an active role in identifying and improving conditions that impact mental health.
Core Values
The Hogg Foundation is guided in large part by Ima Hogg’s vision for a Texas that supports and promotes mental health and well-being. Miss Ima was ahead of her time in believing that mental health was just as important as physical health. She believed all people should have access to community-based resources to support mental well-being and live fulfilling lives. She championed supports for mental health and well-being in everyday environments like schools, workplaces, places of worship, and homes.
“While we were interested in mental illness, our greatest interest was in the preventive side of the problem. I feel that the illness itself is a medical problem and the foundation should emphasize mental health while cooperating wherever possible.”
We remain committed to Miss Ima’s vision. The core values that guide our actions and decisions include:
Respect
- We value and respect all voices. Being attuned to culture, lived experience, and language guides our work.
- We address the impacts of racism, sexism, and other oppressions on mental health.
- We share power and co-create solutions alongside the communities we serve.
- We use a trauma-informed approach in our engagement with communities and individuals.
Integrity
- We conduct our work with honesty and transparency, aiming to address all situations with high moral and ethical standards.
- We do what we believe is right.
- We promote a supportive workplace centered on trust and mutual respect.
Learning
- We research and share best practices to advance the field of mental health and philanthropy.
- We measure impact to learn and improve as an organization.
- We work with communities to understand their unique needs and identify areas for greater learning and awareness.
Collaboration
- We value all staff contributions to reach common goals.
- We engage in meaningful partnerships with a variety of stakeholders to ensure long-term, sustainable change.
Impact
- We strive to improve the mental health and substance use landscape at the policy, practice, and system levels.
- We accept that we must take risks in our work to create impact.
- We are good stewards of the donated resources dedicated to mental health and we maximize the impact of our expenditures.
- We promote effective action through all of our activities, including grantmaking, convening, research, thought leadership, and policy.
Our Commitment to Consumers
People can and do recover from mental illness to lead productive and fulfilling lives. The concepts of recovery are essential to fulfilling our vision and mission. Our staff and advisory council include consumers—people with lived experience with mental health conditions—who help ensure that recovery is integrated in each of our initiatives. We envision a day when a majority of Texans believe in and value recovery in mental health—imagine what that would mean for our communities!
Recovery Initiatives
Concepts of recovery are critical to our mission and we are committed to advancing these practices across Texas.
Grantee Success Story
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association’s Texas Chapter is implementing a recovery curriculum in Texas.