Sozosei Foundation Federal Policy Initiative Requests for Statements of Interest
FOUNDATION OVERVIEW
The Sozosei Foundation was established in 2019 the philanthropic arm of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI). The name Sozosei means “creativity” in Japanese. Our Japanese heritage is manifest in the Foundation’s fundamental values.
The primary focus of our grantmaking is decriminalizing mental illness in the United States. We accomplish our goal to eliminate the inappropriate use of jails and prisons for mental health diagnosis and treatment by sharing and promoting data-driven best practices and resources, reducing the stigma of mental illness, improving access to community-based healthcare, supporting best practices and innovation in diversion and reentry, and improving the care of people with mental illness while incarcerated.
For more information about the Foundation, visit www.sozoseifoundation.org.
RATIONALE FOR FEDERAL POLICY INITIATIVE
The Foundation is interested in supporting advocacy efforts of 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that advance national policy solutions to achieve a future where the use of jails and prisons for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness is eliminated.
People with mental illness face numerous barriers to accessing evidence-based care in the community, and this inability to access care can lead to criminal justice involvement. While it is imperative that we divert individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system, provide those who are incarcerated with the best care possible and support individuals upon reentry from prison and jail, without excellent and accessible community-based care, we will not successfully reach our goal of decriminalizing mental illness.
REQUEST FOR STATEMENTS OF INTEREST
The Sozosei Foundation is requesting short statements of interest (no more than one single-spaced page, 12-point font) from 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations working on national policy and advocacy efforts that advance the goal stated above. Priority will be given to organizations and campaigns that are working on a national scale on:
• Parity enforcement;
• Changes to health insurance and other funding structures that help to further parity and increase access to community-based care, which might include Medicaid and affordable health insurance;
• Telehealth expansion and other digital or technological approaches to increase access to care; and/or
• Implementation of the 988 crisis hotline.
Eligible applicants (see below for criteria) must make clear how their advocacy goals will lead to national policy that works to increase care for individuals with mental illness and ultimately prevent those individuals from initial or further involvement in the criminal justice system...