About Empowering Lives Initiative
Access to mental health care should not depend on what someone can afford.
Empowering Lives Initiative is a nonprofit organization expanding access to affordable, culturally responsive mental health support while helping prepare the next generation of behavioral health professionals.
Our Mission
Building a more accessible path to mental wellness.
Our mission is to expand access to affordable, culturally responsive mental health care while strengthening the behavioral health workforce through supervised clinical training, professional development, and community mental health education.
01
Access
We work to reduce financial and practical barriers that keep people from receiving care.
02
Equity
We support care that respects culture, identity, lived experience, and community needs.
03
Quality
Clinical services are supported by licensed professionals, structured supervision, and ethical standards.
04
Accountability
We are committed to clear governance, responsible stewardship, and honest reporting about our work.
Our Story
A founder-funded model built through years of service.
Empowering Lives Initiative was formally established in 2025 after more than four years of founder-funded work designed to make mental health services and clinical training more accessible.
Through The Empowering Space, founder Brittany Woodley, LCSW-S, LISW-S saw how frequently working adults, families, and young people were caught between needing support and being unable to afford traditional private-pay care. She also saw a need for structured, supportive training opportunities for graduate-level social work interns and early-career clinicians.
Before ELI was formed, Brittany personally funded reduced-cost services, clinical supervision, training infrastructure, and operational expenses. ELI was created to move that proven work into a nonprofit structure that can grow sustainably through donations, partnerships, grants, and community support.
Our Impact
A foundation of service, access, and clinical development.
Before Empowering Lives Initiative was formally established, this work was supported through a founder-funded model created to make mental health services and clinical training more accessible.
Adults received affordable mental health services
Youth received affordable mental health assistance
Clinical sessions delivered across the founder-funded model
Graduate interns and early-career clinicians completed placements
Organizational Transparency
How ELI and The Empowering Space work together.
Empowering Lives Initiative and The Empowering Space share a commitment to improving mental health access, but they serve different organizational purposes.
This section should remain on the published page because it clearly explains the nonprofit’s relationship to the affiliated clinical practice. That distinction is especially important for donors, program participants, partners, and Google Ad Grants reviewers.
Empowering Lives Initiative
ELI is a [NONPROFIT CORPORATION / 501(c)(3) / PENDING 501(c)(3) — CONFIRM EXACT STATUS] focused on charitable mental health access, workforce development, community education, and related outreach programs.
The Empowering Space, PLLC
The Empowering Space is a separate professional mental health practice that provides virtual clinical services and may support ELI through [CLINICAL SUPERVISION, REFERRALS, TRAINING, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, OR OTHER ARRANGEMENTS — CONFIRM] .
How services and funds are kept accountable
[ADD AN ACCURATE EXPLANATION OF HOW ELI FUNDS ARE SEPARATED FROM THE PLLC, WHETHER THE PLLC IS PAID FOR ANY SERVICES, WHO EMPLOYS OR SUPERVISES INTERNS, HOW CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ARE REVIEWED, AND HOW DONATED FUNDS ARE USED.]
Replace this placeholder with the final approved legal and financial explanation before publishing.Leadership & Board of Directors
Guided by Experience. Grounded in Equity.
Empowering Lives Initiative is led by a multidisciplinary board of clinicians, healthcare leaders, and community advocates committed to ethical governance, clinical excellence, and sustainable impact.
Brittany Woodley, LCSW-S
Founder & Board Chair
Brittany Woodley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and board-approved supervisor with extensive experience in clinical care, leadership, and workforce development. She is the founder and owner of The Empowering Space, PLLC, where she has built a culturally competent therapy practice focused on access, supervision, and training the next generation of clinicians.
Her background includes leadership roles with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Army National Guard as a Behavioral Health Officer. Brittany brings deep expertise in program development, governance, clinical oversight, and mental health advocacy to ELI’s board leadership.
Our Governance Commitment
ELI’s board is responsible for:
Ethical oversight and fiduciary responsibility
Strategic direction and long-term sustainability
Program accountability and evaluation
Equity-driven decision making
Community-informed leadership
Together, this team ensures that Empowering Lives Initiative remains mission-aligned, financially transparent, and rooted in the communities it serves.
Notasha Robinson
Board Member | Community Engagement & Advocacy
Notasha Robinson is a social services professional with a strong background in program management, housing assistance, disability claims adjudication, and nonprofit collaboration. She currently serves as a P.R.O. Agent with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, supporting compliance, advocacy, and service access for underserved populations.
Her experience across public service, financial education, and community outreach—combined with her volunteer leadership with organizations such as Autism Speaks and Big Brothers Big Sisters—brings a critical equity-centered lens to ELI’s community partnerships and social impact work.
Larissa Veal, MHA, BSN, RN, CMCN, CCM, CPHQ
Board Member | Compliance & Quality Assurance
Larissa Veal is a healthcare executive with extensive experience in nursing, health administration, managed care, and clinical quality assurance. She holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration and multiple professional certifications in healthcare quality and case management.
Through leadership roles at Centene Corporation, Larissa has contributed to policy development, accreditation, and compliance initiatives. Her expertise ensures ELI maintains strong regulatory alignment, risk management, and quality standards across U.S. and international programs.
Nonprofit Information
Clear information builds public trust.
Empowering Lives Initiative is a nonprofit organization established to expand access to affordable mental health care, strengthen the behavioral health workforce, and support community mental health education.
Take the Next Step
Help make mental health support more accessible.
Learn about current programs, request support, contribute to the mission, or connect with ELI about a community partnership.
© 2026 Empowering Lives Initiative. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.
Contact Info:
- Online Therapy in Texas, Ohio
- Phone – 469-445-2101
- Email – info@empoweringlivestoday.com
© 2026 Empowering Lives Initiative. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.