October Housing Unlimited Staff Spotlight - Stephanie Joseph

Stephanie Joseph, Program Associate

Housing Unlimited (HUI) Program Associate Stephanie Joseph has been working in the Finance Department at Housing Unlimited for four years. Stephanie is proud to work at HUI and shares that her experience as an individual in mental health recovery informs her personal desire to help others living with similar challenges. Stephanie elaborates, “Mental health is my passion and I dedicate my work at HUI to the memory of my father who I lost to suicide in 2011. I would like to see an end to the stigma of mental illness and believe that excellent quality mental health care is a right that should be made available to all persons.”

Stephanie is a tireless mental health advocate. She has served in leadership roles in many organizations including the Montgomery County Mental Health Advisory Committee (MHAC), the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Coalition, and This is My Brave, a mental health nonprofit. Additionally, she serves as Treasurer and Board Member At-large on the Unitarian Universalist Mental Health Network.

Stephanie is always looking to strengthen her advocacy skills. She explains, “I was recently accepted to participate in the Montgomery County Community Action Agency’s Community Advocacy Institute (CAI). The Community Action Board established the CAI in 2016 to teach advocacy skills to lower-income residents with lived experience.” Stephanie looks forward to putting her new skills to work and testifying before the Montgomery County Council in support of more robust funding for key mental health programs in the County.

Stephanie received her Bachelor of Accountancy (Valedictorian no less!) from The George Washington University and subsequently earned a Graduate Certificate in Medical Services Management at Johns Hopkins University. She is certified through the ASIST suicide prevention program and is a graduate of both the Mental Health First Aid and Emotional CPR programs.

Stephanie grew up in New Jersey and then moved to the Washington, D.C. area at the age of twelve. She currently lives in Germantown, Maryland with her devoted pack of chihuahuas.