Giva Salutes: Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services
At Giva we search for organizations, large and small, that are doing a great job of changing the world around them for the better; and we are pleased to salute them here!
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services is a nonprofit organization that serves communities impacted by mental illnesses. Their clients come from all walks of life, representing all ethnicities, ages, and communities as they face life-long battles with mental disorders, mental disability, and the crippling stigmas behind these personal health issues. Clients who have also experienced drug abuse and psychiatric stress are welcomed with open arms and understanding hearts.
This organization treats their clients with respect, dignity, and equality as volunteers help clients increase their independence and self-sufficiency. With the dedication of doctors, psychiatrists, and volunteers, clients receive opportunities to accept help, learn how to build a stronger life for themselves, and build trust and acceptance in their own community.
This nonprofit, founded in 1963 and based in the Northern Virginia area, received the honor of being ranked #6 on The Nonprofit Time's Best Nonprofits to Work for in 2014 list, #26 for 2015, and #24 for 2016. The workforce of PRS has committed themselves to an excellence for the community they serve. Volunteers work tirelessly as they share their skill sets, such as teaching an English-language class for ESL speakers or offering to teach the skills necessary to become employed.
PRS also understands the debilitating consequences of prejudice and discrimination against those with mental illness. The Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association delves into the way the stereotypes behind mental illness further add to one's mental illness and decrease the chance of finding employment, secure shelter, and ultimately results in the ostracizing of individuals from a healthy lifestyle.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services is an example of a nonprofit working to reverse stereotypes, provide community for those who may have once been lost, and advocate for more resources for an under-served population in need.