Our Minds Matter (OMM), formerly the Josh Anderson Foundation (JAF), was founded in 2012 in Vienna, VA with the vision to end teen suicide.
The Foundation was named after Josh Anderson, who died by suicide in 2009 at the age of seventeen. Josh was what you might call a “typical” teenager. He played high school football and lacrosse, had a girlfriend and a large group of friends. He had his whole life ahead of him. The Foundation’s goals are to equip teens with mental health education, resources and support so they never die by suicide.
In June 2020, JAF formally changed its name to Our Minds Matter, the Foundation’s signature program title, to better align its mission and brand in a clear manner. Josh will always be in our hearts as we work diligently to develop and expand the Our Minds Matter organization.
our values
diversity, equity, & inclusion
We value and honor the experiences of those from all identities and backgrounds. We are committed to fair and equitable treatment, access, and opportunity, while actively working to eliminate barriers that impact those from marginalized groups.
people-centered
We are invested in the collective well-being and empowerment of our employees, program participants, and partners in carrying out our work and mission.
impact driven
We are committed to affecting sustainable mental health change by empowering young people to lead through high-quality, research-informed, inclusive, & teen-centric programming.
collaboration
We recognize that we are just one part of a robust youth mental health ecosystem, and true impact can only be achieved through partnership. We seek to incorporate the unique perspectives and needs of all of our stakeholders.
integrity
We are accountable and transparent with each other and community stakeholders.
OMM’s commitment to diversity, equity, & inclusion
a living document created with input from OMM’s stakeholders and approved by omm’s board of directors
Pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion is a moral imperative for Our Minds Matter (OMM), and integral to our work of empowering students to improve their overall school culture around mental health so that no teen dies by suicide.
OMM affirms the inherent dignity of each person we work with while dismantling any inequities within our organization’s policies, programs, and services, creating an environment where all can flourish and become one’s best self. We are building a community whose members have diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences. Vital to this is leadership and staff who are representative of the communities we serve, providing culturally competent and accessible curriculum and resources and constantly learning from and adapting to the communities we work with.
As an organization, we are committed to holding ourselves accountable to the lifelong learning and action that is required for effective diversity, equity,, and inclusion. We are intentional with our official partnerships and act in solidarity with movements for historically marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous and People of Color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities.
For individuals with disabilities, OMM is committed to ensuring full inclusion and providing reasonable accommodation as needed (excepting any undue hardship) in the job application or interview process, when performing essential job functions, and/or when receiving other benefits and supports as an OMM employee. Reasonable accommodation will also be granted to applicants and employees who are experiencing pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions (including lactation).
Recognizing Indigenous Peoples & Land
The staff at OMM humbly acknowledges and honors the Indigenous communities whose ancestral homelands and resources were stolen and colonized in the creation of this nation and state. We are coming to you from land that was kept and held as sacred by the Piscataway and Nacotchtank peoples. We honor them as ancestral and prayer keepers of the land where we are and we honor their descendants who continue to breathe sacred life into this land and all lands across the county.