YWCA Madison and Journey Mental Health Center have formed a community-driven partnership to bring on-site mental health services to women and families living at YWCA Madison Downtown Residence.
“In meeting with some of the YWCA Madison residents and staff, it was abundantly clear that the residents were supporting each other as well as they could as friends and neighbors, but there is a deeper need for therapeutic work to be made more readily available,” said Tyson Rittenmeyer, Journey’s director of clinic-based services, in a press release.
YWCA Madison is a non-profit organization on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women, promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Journey Mental Health Center is a nonprofit behavioral health organization founded in 1948, serving Dane County. As the county’s largest behavioral health provider, Journey reaches more than 50,000 people annually through comprehensive mental health and substance use services.
Journey Mental Health Center launched voluntary, no-to-low-cost outpatient mental health services on-site starting Nov. 1, 2025, according to a press release from the non-profit organization, and clinicians now provide trauma-informed care directly to residents through twice-weekly satellite clinic appointments, reducing barriers related to access, transportation, scheduling, and timely support during mental health crises.
“I hope this partnership will strengthen coordination of care and expand access to a client-centered support. By working together, we can reduce service gaps, increase referrals, and create more consistent experiences for individuals seeking mental health services,” said Kadiata Coulibaly Sidime, a Journey mental health therapist.
The collaboration reflects a shared understanding that healing and housing stability are deeply interconnected and must be supported together, the organization said in a press release.
At a time when systems are under strain and community needs are growing more complex, this partnership represents a meaningful and energizing step forward. “This partnership is a powerful example of what happens when organizations come together with shared values and intentional collaboration,” said Gery Paredes Vasquez, CEO of YWCA Madison. “We are building an ecosystem rooted in humanity, mutuality, and collective care. Healing does not happen in isolation, and sustainable outcomes require systems that work together.”
