GreenLight Fund Brings Innovative Mental Health Program to Cincinnati

Fathers’ Uplift support of Fathers Strengthens Mental and Emotional Health for Youth

CINCINNATI, OH – FEBRUARY 3, 2025 – Nonprofit funder GreenLight Fund Cincinnati announced a $600,000 multiyear investment to bring Fathers’ Uplift to Cincinnati. Fathers’ Uplift supports the mental health of fathers, particularly pivotal for first-time fathers and those re-entering their children’s lives after an absence. This support ultimately strengthens youth mental health as fathers become better equipped to be strong, supportive male role models in their children’s lives. Over the next four years in Cincinnati, the program will reach nearly 500 fathers with clinical mental health care, coaching, and connections with a network of local dads who are on a similar journey. This in turn means more than 2,000 children in Cincinnati will benefit from stronger father-child relationships that reduce youth depression rates and mental health crises over the long term. 

According to Carolyn Brinkmann, Vice President of Early Childhood and School Age Services at Best Point Education Behavioral Health and GreenLight Selection Advisory Council member, “GreenLight Fund is bringing a proven model that Cincinnati urgently needs. By focusing on the well-being of adults who care for our youth, it addresses a critical need today and for the future. Investing in Fathers’ UpLift is a timely solution, and we’re grateful GreenLight has listened to the community, including mental and behavioral health partners like us, and committed to a long-term, multi-generation approach designed to promote family stability and wellness.”

During a comprehensive year-long selection process, GreenLight Cincinnati heard from residents the overwhelming need for increased mental health supports for youth. Research shows that the key to positive mental and emotional health in youth is a safe, stable, and nurturing relationship with a parent. In Hamilton County, about 40% of households with children are single parent households, while 950,000 children in Ohio live in single-parent families, accounting for nearly 2 out of every 5 children. Children growing up with one or more absent parents or strained relationships with their parents are more likely to face a range of challenges, from depression and anxiety to academic struggles and behavioral problems. 

“Based on what we heard from the community and learned through our research, we looked across the country for an evidence-based program that could address this need in a bold, innovative way,” said Erin Saul, GreenLight Fund Cincinnati Executive Director. “We looked for a program that could positively impact the mental health of youth by engaging youth and the adults around them, adding additional capacity to our mental health service ecosystem and investing in the people who will always be there for their children – their parents, rather than adding layers of service to an already overburdened and difficult to access system of mental health care.”

In partnership with the local Selection Advisory Council, GreenLight Cincinnati selected and invested in Fathers’ Uplift’s expansion to Cincinnati. Fathers’ UpLift , staffed with licensed therapists who share racial, cultural, and lived experiences similar to those of the population they serve, will focus on improving the emotional and behavioral health of men and their families. In the next four years, the program aims to reach nearly 500 fathers with mental health treatment, coaching and family counseling leading to strengthening parent/child relationships by equipping fathers with the tools to be the parents they aspire to be, thereby reducing youth depression rates and mental health crises over the long term. 

Calvin Williams, who coordinates the Fatherhood Collaborative at Hamilton County Jobs & Family Services shared how Fathers’ UpLift will fit into the local landscape of service for dads, “After 27 years working with dads in Cincinnati, I know that when fathers prioritize their mental health, it directly improves their relationships with their children—even if they don’t live together. In Hamilton County, where 40% of households with children are single-parent, Fathers’ UpLift will be crucial in helping dads build the stability and connection their children need.”

Fathers’ UpLift will also offer a fellowship program for BIPOC social work students to gain practical training and support in finishing their schooling as well as a $15,000 stipend, thereby increasing the local pipeline of BIPOC therapists. 

In Boston where Fathers’ Uplift was founded, 93% of dads in the program report improved relationships with children, 86% report improved quality of life, and 88% of fathers are actively engaged with their children. GreenLight expects similar results for participants in Cincinnati including 75-85% of dads in the program increasing parent-child activity frequency as evidenced by engaging in regular communication and maintaining a positive relationship with their child. 

“As mental health professionals and passionate advocates for fatherhood, we understand the unique challenges fathers face, and we are committed to providing comprehensive support to help them thrive,” said Fathers’ Uplift co-founders Dr. Charles Daniels, CEO and Samantha Fils-Daniels, COO. “What energizes us most about Cincinnati is its incredible community—men, women, children, and families who inspire us every day. We are honored to extend our services to such a vibrant city, where we can learn and grow alongside our neighbors. The opportunity to engage deeply with Cincinnati’s rich culture and diverse families is something we truly cherish.”

Fathers’ Uplift will hire a local clinical manager, intake coordinator, clinical fellows, and coaches this spring and will begin accepting referrals in the summer. The program complements the strong family services already available to residents, including services that focus on the health of moms. 

Cradle Cincinnati Executive Director and Queens Village Founder, Dr. Meredith Smith shared how Fathers’ UpLift’s program will directly impact the whole family, “Father’s Uplift will be a welcome addition to our community, both through their focus on empowering fathers and their commitment to helping men become strong supporters for the mothers in their lives.”

In addition to their financial support, GreenLight Cincinnati will provide ongoing on the ground strategic support to ensure Fathers’ Uplift fully integrates into the community for long term impact and sustainability.

This is GreenLight Cincinnati’s sixth investment in response to community-identified needs. Others include Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), UpTogether, First Place for Youth’s My First Place program housed at NewPath, Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship, and HomeStart’s Renew Collaborative. Investors in GreenLight Cincinnati include: Sue & Steve Baggott, Bank of America, Clare Zlatic & Tony Blankemeyer, Archie & Sharen Brown, Clement & Ann Buenger Foundation, Bill Butler, Manuel Chavez, Cincinnati Children’s, Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, Crossroads, Duke Energy, Eagle One Fund at Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky, First Financial Foundation, Bobby & Arna Fisher, Dan & Susan Fleming, Tom & Nancy Gilman, Goldman Sachs, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Kevin & Francy Hughes, iHeartMedia, The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, Lair and Anna Kennedy, Manuel D. & Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, Lynn & Glen Mayfield, Holly & Louis Mazzoca, John & Marylou McIlwraith, Laura S. Menge, P&G Fund, John & Francie Pepper, The Ragland Family, Refinery Ventures, Tim & Laura Schigel, Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trusts, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee, Tom & Nancy Shepherd, Brant & Valarie Sheppard, John & Susan Simon, The Sinclaire Family, John & Jen Stein, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Robert W. Keith & Kathy Thornton-Keith, Dionn Tron, US Bank, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, George & Kim Vincent, The Vora Foundation, Warehouse Collaborative, Western & Southern Financial Group, The Woods Family, and James & Mary Zimmerman.