Lean on Me Award Recipient: OMNI Institute

Founded in 1976, OMNI Institute is a nonprofit social science consultancy that provides research, evaluation, and capacity building services in the fields of behavioral health, community health, economic security, children and families, and justice. 

Because of OMNI’s dedication and commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing, it will be the 2022 recipient of Envision:You’s Organizational Lean On Me Award. 

Envision:You honors mental health leaders, allies, and advocates with this award every year at their annual Garden Party at the Denver Botanic Gardens. This year’s event will be Saturday, July 23. 

“We are thrilled to award OMNI Institute with our 2022 organizational Lean on Me Award,” Envision:You Chief Executive Officer Steven Haden says. “OMNI has been a crucial partner of Envision:You since our inception. In just the last year, it has led the development of our LGBTQ Provider Training Program and State of the State Survey by facilitating our community-informed program development process.

Through organizing advisory committees, conducting community member interviews, and working with our team to gather and present data, OMNI has enabled Envision:You’s growth and impact. Their expertise in learning and research has been invaluable as we seek to understand and effectively respond to the challenges facing Colorado’s LGBTQ community. Thank you to OMNI for their ongoing support and partnership!” 

According to Jean Denious, OMNI’s chief executive officer, winning this award is incredibly affirming on multiple levels.  

“First, regarding impact: being able to see that our services and supports are helping to accelerate impact for Envision:You,” she says. “Second, regarding shared values: We do the work we do because we care about and are committed to being a part of achieving health equity, including behavioral health equity for LGBTQ Coloradans. Being a proud member of the LGBTQ community myself, I understand firsthand that our policies, systems, and community-level support must be part of the solution, and I’m excited that Envision:You is tackling the issues at all these levels.”

“It’s super exciting,” OMNI Researcher T Schweimler adds. “We love and value our partnership with Envision:You. The work that we’re doing with them, and the work they do in general, is so important. It’s awesome to be a part of that and be recognized for that partnership.”

OMNI partners with change-makers across the nation and has staff located in 13 states. Its diverse portfolio of projects reflects its commitment to tackling an array of complex societal issues and inequities. 

Denver has been OMNI’s home and headquarters since its inception, and staff are guided and grounded by three core values: inquiry to uncover the best possible solutions to challenges, agility in approach, and connection to the clients and communities served.

“We love being part of such a vibrant, progressive city and community as Denver,” Denious says. “We have had the privilege to work with so many Denver-based nonprofits, foundations, and local government agencies and across sectors such as schools and youth-serving organizations, substance use and mental health treatment, law enforcement and judicial services, family support services, public health, housing and homelessness, and much more. I’m very proud of the work we are doing.”

In the past, mental health has been seen as a topic that is often stigmatized and swept under the rug. 

Unfortunately, there are still instances of that happening today.

“As a member of the queer and trans communities, mental health is something that affects my community,” Schweimler says. “And not just my community, but in general, it’s a topic that has been stigmatized for so long. It’s not brought up in conversation, and as a society, we’ve really suffered from that lack of recognition. Taking care of our mental health should be a part of everyday conversation. No matter who you are, I think anyone can benefit from talking to a therapist or counselor. We need to take care of ourselves. We talk about physical health all the time, and mental health is just as important. The two are so intertwined.”

Rachel Ball, OMNI’s director of impact, echoes Schweimler’s statement. 

“OMNI is very passionate about working to end the stigma and marginalization of mental health,” she explains. “For so long, it was believed that mental health issues affected only a sliver of society, and I think there’s growing recognition showing that’s not the case. I think public perception of mental health has changed to some extent, and we’re excited to continue the work of erasing the stigma and marginalization.” 

Moving forward, OMNI will continue to leverage its expertise to reduce stigma, increase access to services, and grow community understanding and awareness of mental health.

“Effective data utilization and evaluation are directly tied to the ability of organizations and changemakers of all kinds to identify and advocate for the systemic changes that are needed,” Denious explains. “Through our work, we aim to advance the collective understanding of what types of services work best for different types of mental health needs in different communities, and the strategies that can be best utilized across the behavioral health spectrum of prevention, treatment, and recovery.”

OMNI will also continue its partnership with Envision:You.

“Envision:You is a bit of a dream client,” Ball says. “Their focus is such an area of emphasis for OMNI, and this partnership has been years long. It’s not just one project and done; it’s a true collaboration, and we work on multiple projects together over the course of time. We explore issues, produce research, and provide insight. 

Schweimler agrees. 

“We want to keep doing work like this with Envision:You, as well as with other organizations committed to advancing equity,” they say. “We support our clients in finding solutions to do their work more efficiently, effectively, and reach more people. We need to move forward together to keep bringing these topics and conversations to light.”

For more information and to stay up-to-date, visit OMNI.org.