• Alum, professor come together to fight mental illness in Central Texas and abroad

    Joe Padilla and Matt StanfordHelping those with mental health challenges is a passion of Baylor alums Joe Padilla, BA ’95, and Dr. Matt Stanford, BS ’88, MA ’90, PhD ’92, founders of Mental Health Grace Alliance. Working in tandem, the two have turned this passion into a mission-minded non-profit organization dedicated to helping others.

    Because both Padilla and Stanford believe in a holistic approach to treatment, they have been purposeful about establishing partnerships with other mental health agencies in addition to providing a host of services.

    After graduating from Baylor, Padilla and his wife, Jessica, worked overseas with Antioch Ministries International. In 2009, though, Padilla began researching and implementing a holistic recovery process for his wife, who suffered from ever-increasing mental health challenges. Through this approach, Jessica made remarkable process, and today she leads an active and full life.

    Dr. Stanford is a professor of psychology, neuroscience and biomedical studies at Baylor. An accomplished author, he has been published in such outlets as USA Today and The New York Times. His writings are inspired by the questions he receives from people of faith when working with those affected by a variety of illnesses, including personality disorders and traumatic brain injury.

    Dedicated to putting hands and feet to faith, both founders have also spent time in Libya in the past year in conjunction with Acts of Mercy. Working with refugee groups, PTSD training and support groups have been instituted for Libyans who continue to recover from the revolutionary war.

    Sic ’em, Joe and Matt!