Supporting Access and Assistance Program

09/03/2026

You finally find a therapist you actually trust.

Not just someone you talk to.

Someone you can sit across from and say the thing you’ve been avoiding for months.

You stop saying “I’m fine” when you’re not.

You stop changing the subject when it gets uncomfortable.

You finally start getting somewhere.

Then the money isn’t there.

The copay hits the same week as the electric bill. You need gas. Groceries are already more than you planned.

So you cancel one appointment.

You tell yourself it’s just one.

Then maybe it’s two.

You’ll go back next paycheck.

Except that paycheck already has somewhere to go too.

And suddenly it’s been a month since you’ve seen the person who was helping you make sense of everything.

The stuff you were working through didn’t disappear because the appointments did.

Now you’re just trying to handle it by yourself again.

I know how much it can take to finally trust a therapist enough to be honest.

That’s why this matters so much to me.

Someone can do everything right: work, have insurance, find a therapist, show up, put in the work and still lose access to that care because they can’t keep finding another copay in a budget that already has nothing left to give.

That’s why we’re building Supporting Access and Assistance Program.

Because “I can’t afford to go back” shouldn’t be how therapy ends.

08/22/2026

We’ve been a little quiet lately, but a lot has been happening at SAAP.

We’ve been onboarding new volunteers, developing training materials and policies, strengthening our internal systems, and expanding community outreach.

We’re also starting to look at ways to formally reflect some of the values we already care about as an organization, including pursuing Recovery Friendly Workplace recognition.

We’re also excited to finally share our first official SAAP flyer.

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered, offered guidance, shared resources, made connections, or supported us along the way.

There’s much more ahead.

08/09/2026

SAAP was built on more than a mission. It was built on a belief about how people should be treated.

We believe people should be able to show up as themselves.

We believe people deserve to feel heard, valued, respected, and trusted. We believe asking for help should never come with shame, speaking up should never come with fear, and making a mistake should never erase someone’s worth.

We believe compassion and accountability can exist in the same room.

Life is messy sometimes. People need help. People have hard days. People don’t always have the right words or know exactly what to do next.

That shouldn’t change how they’re treated.

Whether someone comes to SAAP for support or is helping build it, we want them to feel respected, heard, and comfortable being human.

The leadership behind SAAP comes from years of experience, but also from years of seeing what leadership can look like when people become numbers, when policies matter more than people, or when someone simply doesn’t feel like they have a voice.

We wanted to build something different.

As SAAP grows, our commitment is simple:

We promise to be an organization you can count on.

An organization you can trust.

An organization you can come to with a question, an idea, a concern, a mistake, or simply a need to be heard.

That promise is for everyone. No matter who you are, where you come from, or why our paths cross, you deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.

SAAP was created to reduce financial barriers to mental health care, and just as important to us is making sure people feel respected, valued, and heard along the way.

We’re still growing. We’re still learning. We won’t always get everything right.

But dignity, trust, accountability, compassion, and respect are not values we plan to grow out of.

They’re what we’re building on.

08/07/2026

SAAP’s previous phone number is no longer active. We are currently working on setting up a new number and will share it as soon as it is available.

In the meantime, please contact us through Facebook Messenger or by email at [email protected].

Thank you for your patience.

08/05/2026

07/29/2026

Community challenges are best addressed when organizations come together with a shared purpose.

SAAP was honored to support the community effort to help bring a cooling center to Franklin County for anyone who needs a safe place during extreme heat—whether they're unhoused, without air conditioning, or simply trying to stay safe.

Throughout this effort, we had the opportunity to work alongside dedicated community partners, distribute informational flyers, and help raise awareness about this important resource. Every conversation and every flyer shared helped move the project forward.

A special thank you to Emmanuel Reis from Options for helping get this project started. Community initiatives like this begin because someone recognizes a need and brings people together to create solutions.

We're also thankful to every organization, volunteer, and community member who contributed their time and effort. SAAP is proud to have played a small role in an initiative focused on keeping our neighbors safe.

This is what community collaboration looks like, and we're excited to continue working alongside others to strengthen Franklin County.

07/26/2026

One of SAAP’s goals over the coming months is to build strong relationships with organizations throughout Franklin County.

SAAP was created to help working, insured adults in Franklin County afford the out-of-pocket cost of individual psychotherapy by reimbursing eligible copays. The connections we build now will help more people learn about SAAP and prepare us for the opening of applications.

We’re grateful for the organizations and individuals who have already welcomed SAAP, shared our information, and shown support for our mission.

We look forward to continuing those conversations and connecting with many more people and organizations across Franklin County.

Supporting Access and Assistance Program
Reducing Financial Barriers to Mental Health Care

07/22/2026

SAAP is still small. We are still building. And most people in Franklin County do not know our name yet.

But the need existed before we arrived, and it will still be here if no one does anything about it.

There are working people quietly putting off mental health care because the cost keeps adding up. They may never post about it, ask publicly for help, or tell anyone what they are carrying.

We are building SAAP for them.

It will take time, funding, trust, and a community willing to believe this can work but we are not walking away from it.

We are just getting started.

07/18/2026

Yesterday, Supporting Access and Assistance Program (SAAP) attended Governor Mills’ 8th Annual Opioid Response Summit.

The summit offered a valuable look at programs, partnerships, strategies, and lived experiences connected to substance use, recovery, mental health, wellness, and access to care.

It was an opportunity to hear from people doing this work, learn about different approaches, and stay informed about the conversations and efforts shaping support for individuals and communities.

SAAP was grateful for the opportunity to attend.

07/14/2026

The cost of therapy is not always limited to the amount charged for the appointment.

For many people, attending a session may also mean arranging transportation, finding privacy for telehealth, taking unpaid time away from work, or paying for childcare.

Even when someone has insurance and can manage the copay, those added costs can make consistent care difficult.

Mental health access is not only about whether services exist.

It is also about whether people can realistically fit those services into their lives.

Supporting Access and Assistance Program is working to make consistent mental health care more financially manageable for working, insured adults in Franklin County.