The Alberta Monk Foundation

The Alberta Monk Foundation is a mental health education service provider and youth development and advocacy organization based in Jacksonville, NC. Established in May 2025, the organization serves students ages 6 to 18 in the Onslow County School system, parents, and teachers. Individuals in these populations face a significant deficit in health literacy, counseling, and supportive services. The lack of early intervention makes them significantly more likely to be diagnosed or affected by mental health concerns in adulthood.

The Alberta Monk Foundation’s mission is to promote the growth of young people with knowledge, resources, and community support to foster mental well-being, reduce stigma, and encourage early intervention.. These services directly address the stigma, trauma, and mental health professional shortage that have led young people to have increased rates of negative mental health outcomes each year.

The organization's vision is a community where everyone has access to quality mental health resources, care, and increased health literacy. This vision is part of The Alberta Monk Foundation’s work to address gaps in traditional healthcare and family support services networks. The Alberta Monk Foundation’s founder, who witnessed her grandmother and her peers struggle with mental health, found few resources equipped to address the trauma, systemic barriers, and cultural experiences of young individuals affected by mental health crises and concerns.

Since then, the Alberta Monk Foundation was created to reach people through programs that empower those most directly impacted by mental health to become educated on brain health and provide support to their peers within their community: 

1. Support Healthy Behaviors—The Alberta Monk Foundation will link students living with mental health concerns to services and knowledge that support them in making healthy choices. This includes direct education about coping skills, treatment, interpersonal relationships, creating safety plans, and understanding the importance of positive mental health. It also includes connecting people served to the organization’s peer support specialist and mental health counselors. 
2. Mitigate Health-Care Barriers—In addition to education about mental health, the Alberta Monk Foundation will offer peer support groups to students seeking support from others in the community and additional information about the organization’s mental health services. 
3. Build Resiliency and Community—The Alberta Monk Foundation will offer a mental health program that incorporates peer, family, and group counseling, facilitated by professionals trained in trauma, youth mental health issues, and culturally-informed care. The Alberta Monk Foundation community is also a network of peers and trusted providers that provide support, encouragement, and respect for those served. 
4. Advocate for Change—The Alberta Monk Foundation will equip those served to recognize and respond to mental health-related discrimination, stigma, and exclusion in health, social networks, and family. This reduces systemic barriers to economic, physical, mental, and emotional well-being. 
5. Collaborate Across Sectors—The Alberta Monk Foundation will support collaborative relationships that create an inclusive, responsive, and effective network of support for youth living in Onslow County across local, state, regional, and national resources. 

The Alberta Monk Foundation will create leaders, forge relationships, and reduce barriers for youth living in Onslow County.