The Full Story
Rooted in Resilience. Built for the Revolution.
Behavioral Health Advocates (BHA) is a Black woman-led training and advocacy organization committed to transforming behavioral health systems from the inside out. We center culture, equity, and lived experience in everything we do from workforce development to peer leadership, from advocacy to systems reform.
Founded by Kimberly Jones, a licensed therapist with over 25 years of experience in trauma-informed care, human services, and behavioral health systems, BHA is built on the belief that community-rooted change is the most powerful kind of change. As a doctoral candidate in Behavioral Health Leadership and Healthcare Management, Kimberly brings both clinical expertise and real-world strategy to the table. Her leadership is not symbolic it’s surgical. She is reshaping how behavioral health is taught, led, and lived.
At BHA, we don’t just talk about equity we build it.
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Through our growing network of peer leaders, behavioral health professionals, youth advocates, and system changemakers, we are actively addressing the workforce shortage, racial disparities in care, and the lack of culturally responsive training available in traditional institutions. We’ve delivered over 50 culturally grounded trainings and are rapidly building partnerships with schools, behavioral health agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders across Maryland and beyond.
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We are the architects of a new behavioral health future where lived experience is expertise, culture is non-negotiable, and healing is accessible to all.
Mission
To train, equip, and elevate a culturally-rooted behavioral health workforce by providing nationally and state-approved education, peer certification programs, and community-centered advocacy. We exist to ensure that lived experience is seen as leadership, and that healing work reflects the voices of those it’s meant to serve.
Vision
We envision a world where every community especially those historically overlooked has access to trained, trauma-informed, and culturally-affirming behavioral health professionals. We believe the future of behavioral health is peer-powered, equity-driven, and heart-led.
What We Do
We bridge the gap between lived experience and leadership, offering:
CE-Approved Training Programs
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NBCC & MABPCB aligned.
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CPRS & Peer Leadership certifications.
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Trauma-informed & equity-centered curriculum.
Workforce Development
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ThriveForward™ youth pipeline.
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Parent Peer Academy.
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Reentry support and lived experience mentorship.
Consultation & Partnerships
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Strategic collaborations with agencies, schools, and community-based orgs.
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Custom training and program design.
Why We Exist
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Because the behavioral health field still doesn’t look like the communities it serves.
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Because too many systems profit off pain, but fail to listen to the wisdom of survivors.
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Because cultural humility isn’t a checkbox it’s a commitment.
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We created BHA to shift power, build pathways, and pour back into our people. We lead with compassion, competence, and culture always.
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Empowering Change
Our Impact
Led by Purpose. Rooted in Community.
We don’t just deliver training we spark transformation.
Through culturally grounded, trauma-informed, and equity-focused education, BHA is:
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Building up Black and brown peer professionals and therapists
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Supporting justice-involved and at-risk youth through skilled care
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Equipping behavioral health systems with the tools to heal, not harm
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Bridging the gap between lived experience and leadership
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From CPRS to CEOs we're nurturing the revolution in behavioral health.
We are behavioral health advocates, yes but more than that, we’re narrative shifters, gate-openerers, and system disrupters.
We know the power of showing up as we are, and the necessity of building what we needed but didn’t see.
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Welcome to BHA where healing meets hustle, and where lived experience leads.