WASHINGTON - s4story -- McClendon Center has been selected to receive the 2026 Advancing Minority Mental Health Award from the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF). This national honor recognizes the Center's 45-year history of providing innovative, whole-person mental health care to underserved communities in the District of Columbia.

Established in 2003, the APAF awards recognize organizations that demonstrate excellence in expanding access to quality mental health services for those most impacted by systemic inequities.

McClendon Center President and CEO Sheandinita Dyson will accept the award during a reception on Tuesday, May 19, at the APA Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

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"Receiving the Advancing Minority Mental Health award is a powerful validation of the trust we have built within the DC community over the last 45-plus years," said Dyson. "For our clients, many of whom can feel invisible to the healthcare system, this award signifies that their journey toward recovery is seen, valued, and supported at the highest level. It helps ensure that when our neighbors face their most vulnerable moments, whether transitioning from a hospital or facing a housing crisis, McClendon Center will be there to meet them exactly where they are with dignity and culturally responsive care."

McClendon Center will use the award proceeds for its Client Emergency Fund, which provides vital support for food, medication, transportation, and eviction prevention. By filling gaps left by declining public funding, the fund offers timely interventions that maintain psychiatric stability and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations.

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About McClendon Center

McClendon Center is DC's leading nonprofit provider of community-based behavioral health care for individuals living with serious mental illness. Founded in 1980, the Center has spent more than 45 years providing a vital safety net of treatment, connection, and community support for the District's most vulnerable residents. McClendon Center was the first behavioral health agency in DC to earn Joint Commission accreditation, a distinction maintained since 1999, and remains the District's only certified Transition Planning provider. Serving more than 3,000 residents annually, the Center delivers a full continuum of person-centered care that integrates psychiatric treatment, substance use recovery support, and stabilization services.

Learn more at mcclendoncenter.org