Our Focus

For 25 years, Touchstone Foundation has been a mission-driven organization dedicated to expanding youth mental health access in Lancaster County. We work to support children and families facing barriers to essential mental health resources, ensuring equitable care for our community’s youth and their families.

Vision

All children and youth in Lancaster County experience mental wellness.

Mission

Touchstone Foundation elevates the mental well-being of youth in Lancaster County.

Values

A whole-person approach, Caring, Collaboration, Advocacy, and Visibility

Our Programs Achieve our Mission.

Our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan focuses on three goals that, together with our programs, show our commitment to youth mental wellness in Lancaster County.

Strategic Goal #1:

Build the talent pipeline by increasing career pathways for students, promoting mental health careers, and retaining licensed professionals in our community.  

Award 10 scholarships per year of $5,000 each for undergraduate students who want to pursue mental health careers. Focus on juniors and seniors who may have exhausted their student aid.
Increase the talent pipeline of licensed mental health professionals by supporting clinical supervision to help 90 newly licensed providers serve youth in Lancaster County.

Strategic Goal #2:

Increase access to mental healthcare, especially for the most vulnerable and at-risk populations, by removing financial barriers, promoting wellness activities, advocating for health policy changes, and addressing the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion across all settings. 

Provide mental health copay/deductible access assistance to remove financial barriers to therapy and counseling for youth, young adults, and parents/caregivers.
Launch “A Moment to Breathe” for parents, offering on-site free childcare in a whole family approach.
Invest in and facilitate access to youth mentorship programs.
Fund strategic partnerships that connect youth with a trusted, caring adult mentor.
Offer a monthly “Touchstone Chat” conversation among board, staff, and community partners on a book, podcast, or similar media on a youth mental health topic to reduce stigma and raise awareness, especially about the intersectionality between youth mental health and related topics (LGBTQIA+ youth, domestic violence, foster care, immigration, etc.)

Establish strategic partnerships to provide grant funds for targeted needs.

Strategic Goal #3:

Create awareness and education about identifying the warning signs of depression among children and youth to prevent suicide, especially among high-risk populations such as youth who identify as LGBTQIA+, early-childhood trauma, and youth with alcohol and substance use disorders.   

Host and/or support community events focused on mental wellness
Facilitate educational workshops or community conversations about mental wellbeing

Build awareness through targeted social media campaigns like “Mental Health Mondays”
Remove stigma and support youth in Lancaster County through “Rise Above” youth summits; aimed at connecting students mental health resources.
Promoting education focused on advocacy for youth mental health policies in a whole-person approach.
Participate in regular advocacy work across current and future partnerships, collaboration, coalitions, and legislative visits.

Partner with us!

We are always looking for new ways to connect with the broader Lancaster County community. If you have an event, workshop or other idea of how the Touchstone Foundation can support youth and families, we always welcome community partnerships. We’re excited to connect with you, either as an organization or as an individual volunteer! Please email info@touchstonefound.org with subject line “Community Partnership” to learn more about current opportunities.

Anti-Discrimination Policy

Touchstone Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment consideration with applicable law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Community Benefit Organizations and Agencies served by Touchstone Foundation must serve the members of the Lancaster County community without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by Touchstone Foundation.

Additionally, Touchstone Foundation does not generally provide grant support to individuals, for-profit organizations, firms, or companies, athletic, recreational, labor, fraternal, political, lobbying, or social organizational, or national organizations without local affiliation. Touchstone Foundation will only fund programs at religious agencies and organizations, or other organization, if the programs are open to all members of Lancaster County without regard to religious affiliation or belief and contain no bias toward any religion.