ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
Embrace is a non-profit, non-governmental, social entrepreneurial organization dedicated to mental health.
Embrace launched as an affiliation with the Department of Psychiatry at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) back in 2013. As of 2017, Embrace branched out as an independent Lebanese non-governmental organisation (NGO), not affiliated with any institution.
Embrace seeks to better inform the community about mental illness, break the stigma, provide support to those affected, and help foster a resilient and emotionally healthy community which cares for the mental wellbeing of its young and old.
One of Embrace’s cofounders Michella Nahas lost her brother to suicide many years ago. Back then, there were no organizations to support her and her family who many years later continue to be affected by this tragic loss.
Through its various programs, Embrace caters to the continuum of mental health care, aiming to close the gaps, from prevention, awareness, crisis-management, service provision, capacity building, and advocacy and lobbying.
Embrace seeks to better inform the community about mental illness, break the stigma, provide support to those affected, and help foster a resilient and emotionally healthy community which cares for the mental wellbeing of its young and old.
One of Embrace’s cofounders Michella Nahas lost her brother to suicide many years ago. Back then, there were no organizations to support her and her family who many years later continue to be affected by this tragic loss.
Through its various programs, Embrace caters to the continuum of mental health care, aiming to close the gaps, from prevention, awareness, crisis-management, service provision, capacity building, and advocacy and lobbying.
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The LifelineEmbrace operates the National Lifeline in Lebanon (1564) for Emotional Support and Suicide Prevention Hotline, in partnership with the National Mental Health Program at the Ministry of Public Health. On average, one person loses their life to suicide every 2.1 days, and on average, one person attempts suicide every 6 hours in Lebanon. The topic of suicide remains one that is a taboo in Lebanon, preventing hundreds from reaching out to support. Because Talking Saves Lives, the National Lifeline is a preventive tool that offers an anonymous service for anyone who is in emotional distress or thinking of suicide. -
Awareness and OutreachBy raising awareness, Embrace aims to enhance early detection and prevention of mental illness and provide communities the opportunity to enjoy a better quality of life. Embrace offers awareness and behavioral interventions to corporate organizations, universities, schools, municipalities, vulnerable communities, student-led initiatives, etc. and conducts capacity building sessions to local and international non- governmental organizations who work in the humanitarian field with missions overlapping with mental health and vulnerable populations. -
Embrace Mental Health CenterAs a response to the devastating Beirut explosion that occurred on August 4, 2020, and in line with Embrace’s mission to make mental health care accessible, the Embrace Mental Health Center (EMHC) provides direct, affordable, and quality mental health care to persons experiencing a mental illness in Lebanon. The mental health clinic at EMHC uses a person-centered, community-based, multidisciplinary model, to provide evidence-based mental health services for its beneficiaries. -
CedarsEmbrace’s research hub and CEDARS (Capturing and Expanding Data Analytics and Research on Suicide) department is comprised of dedicated researchers in the field of mental health. The hub aims to push out research and insight on mental health needs in Lebanon and to advocate for evidence-based policies that will improve the lives of person with mental illness in Lebanon.
