EMPOWER
Building The World's Mental Health Workforce
Together we are striving to create a world where everyone has access to the mental health care they need
About EMPOWER
EMPOWER is a digital initiative under the Mental Health For All Lab focusing on building health system capacity for the prevention and care of mental health problems, across the life course, globally.
Built on two decades of path-breaking global research by Dr. Vikram Patel, EMPOWER equips frontline non-specialist providers with the tools, training, and ongoing support they need to deliver high-quality psychosocial interventions - sustainably, and at scale.
Since 2022, EMPOWER has trained 500+ frontline providers across the United States, including community health workers, Veterans, members of faith communities, students, teachers, and community organizations such as the YWCA, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and city and county health departments.
The Vision
To build the world’s Mental Health Workforce.
The Mission
To empower anyone, anywhere, to master the delivery of evidence-based psychological treatments and behavioral interventions.
EMPOWER Curriculum Offerings
EMPOWER is deeply committed to fostering mental well-being across the spectrum of human experience. It offers three evidence-based training programs, designed for real-world settings and real-world communities.
Testimonials of EMPOWER Programs
“The training really helps us to empathize with the child, and see them as a whole person.” - EMPOWER Transdiagnostic Stepped Care Training Learner
“Now we know how to handle situations and how to talk with our kids.” - EMPOWER Transdiagnostic Stepped Care Training Learner
“I loved that the training was online and self-paced… it's just really convenient to be able to do it whenever I had time to get it done.” - EMPOWER Transdiagnostic Stepped Care Training Learner
"I thought the training was very helpful, especially the videos! It gave me a better understanding of depression and how to deal with it." - EMPOWER Depression Care BA Training Learner
"I am very appreciative of this training as it was very interesting to go through...It was a great training combining theory but in a very interactive mode, which makes it more exciting to navigate." - EMPOWER Depression Care BA Training Learner
"In addition to Dr. Sona Dimidjian (one of the original creators of BA treatment and Professor and Director of the Renee Crown Wellness Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder), expert clinical psychologists appointed by the American Psychological Association played a key role in reviewing and approving the final scripts for both BA and FS, Dr. Donna Baptiste (Professor and Chair of the of the Master of Arts in Counseling Program at the Family Institute at Northwestern), and Dr. Tara Mehta (Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of Psychology Training in the Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois Chicago). I have served on the Advisory Board for EMPOWER since its inception. The development and implementation of EMPOWER are strongly aligned with APA’s 2022 policy on population health."
- Arthur Evans, American Psychological Association CEO
Our Research
EMPOWER in Action
Our research portfolio spans community settings, school systems, and health departments, implementing evidence-based interventions and expanding access to care.
Peer Support & Lived Experience
- EMPOWER Peer Support Pilot Study
- Co-Developing Online Training for Lived Experience in Research (Research Ready)
Youth Mental Health
- Improving School Counselor Training
- EMPOWER Youth Implementation Pilot at YWCA
- EMPOWER Youth Pilot Study in California Schools
- Promoting School Climate in Tokyo
Behavioral Activation in Communities & associated Systems
- Train and EMPOWER A Community Health Workforce (TEACH)
- Implementation & Evaluation of Depression Care Training in Urban and Rural Settings - Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas
- A Novel Digital Platform for Measurement-Based Peer Supervision
- Tapestry of Care
Connect to Learn More about EMPOWER
Write to the EMPOWER team for any questions that you may have, or explore ways to get involved in bridging the gap of mental health care providers globally. Whether you're a community organization, researcher, or a health system, there's a place for you in the EMPOWER network.
Contact: laura_bond@hms.harvard.edu