NONPROFIT QUARTERLY: May 20, 2024 - The lack of adequate care and empathy for people suffering from mental illness is a monumental concern in the United States. But due to the complexity of the problem and the systems that have stigmatized, criminalized, and dehumanized people with mental illness throughout the nation’s history, finding sustainable solutions is difficult, yet urgently needed work. Melissa Beck, executive director of the Sozosei Foundation, is one of the people fighting for positive change.
April 2024: Earlier this month the Sozosei Foundation was honored to hold our 4th Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness. I am sure that many of you reading this newsletter were at this dynamic and inspiring event, but because it was at capacity I'm also certain that many of you are awaiting the recordings of the event, which we will provide soon. Also coming is an animated recap made by the talented Julia Reich of Stone Soup Creative.
Princeton, NJ, April 8, 2024— The Sozosei Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Otsuka dedicated to the decriminalization of mental illness, will gather the nation’s most creative, impactful leaders in mental health at the 2024 Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness on April 16 and 17. Taking place at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, the Summit offers a unique landscape for attendees to spark and engage in thought-provoking conversations surrounding access to mental healthcare, focusing on intersectional, data driven decriminalization strategies.
Correctional facilities in the US are considered the largest provider of mental health services.1 The Sozosei Foundation is tackling the question—"What can be done to accelerate solutions so that we eliminate the inappropriate use of jails and prisons for mental health care?” But tackling the criminalization of mental illness is complex and there is no single solution or ‘magic bullet’ to eliminate the use of jail or prison for the treatment of people with mental illness. Identifying effective solutions is difficult, in part, due to the limited availability of data needed to evaluate whether solutions work.
To understand the Sozosei Foundation’s approach to impact, a team from the RAND Corporation interviewed grantees, representatives from partner organizations and thought leaders; reviewed scientific and grey literature; and met bi-weekly with the Foundation’s Executive Director. This document summarizes what the RAND team learned about the Foundation’s approach to impact and an evaluation strategy that aligns with this approach.
The Sozosei Foundation launched its Resilient Communities Program (RCP) in the summer of 2020 at the request of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI), with the intent of evolving the company’s longstanding commitment to philanthropy. The goal of the program was to refine the company’s philanthropic commitment by designing guidelines and priorities to support diverse, under-resourced communities where the company has a presence. Over the two years of its grantmaking, the program provided over $1 million in grants and served over 177,000 people across six target communities.
When COVID-19 swept across the United States in the Spring of 2020, Sozosei had just formalized its governance structure and was in the midst of a national search for its inaugural executive director. Simultaneously, Sozosei – with leadership from its Board of Directors — moved swiftly to address the immediate needs of patients, healthcare workers, and families impacted by COVID-19.