Mental Health Grace Alliance - About Christian Mental Health & Illness

Joe Padilla, Executive Director & Founder

Baylor University graduate who worked for 14 years with Antioch Ministries International (AMI) in Asia, Africa, and the U.S. In Asia, Joe directed a non-profit organization and in Africa was the business and project director for social development media projects. In the U.S. Stateside as a training director, strategic coordinator and HR oversight for AMI teams.

In 2009, after years of Jessica’s ever-increasing mental health challenges, Joe stepped aside from AMI to care for his wife and family. Joe discovered a new process of recovery and helped his wife find significant and lasting recovery. From this experience he co-founded Mental Health Grace Alliance (MHGA) to effectively help others with recovery and impact mental health care.

He is an active board member of NAMI Waco and HOT Recovers and works full time as the executive director of MHGA overseeing the organization’s development, training and seminars, partnering with the mental health community, and working with numerous families and individuals with mental disorders find RECOVERY and PURPOSE.

Matt Stanford, Director & Founder

Professor of psychology, neuroscience and biomedical studies at Baylor University. Professionally he has worked with a variety of mentally ill and brain-injured individuals, including those with aggression, personality disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, stroke, substance dependence, schizophrenia and traumatic brain injury.

He is the author of the Focus on the Family recommended resource, “Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness” (Paternoster, 2008). A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS) his research on the interplay between psychology and issues of faith has been featured in such national publications as USA Today and The New York Times, as well as many news websites including Fox, MSNBC, Yahoo and US News & World Report.

He serves actively on the board of Mission Waco and helps with mental health care for indigent care. As Director of MHGA, he directs all the development of material resources, assists with the strategic development, training and seminars, and works with families and individuals affected by mental health challenges and mental illness find RECOVERY and PURPOSE of life.

Founders & Directors