Health Update: Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness, Organization of the Year – What Experts Say

In the nonprofit world, it is all too easy for even the most noble causes to collapse under the weight of their own ambitions. For Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness, by contrast, it has been consistency — not only a literal presence but a sustained excellence in service of its mission — that has set the organization apart as a cornerstone of mental health care in southwest Arkansas.

A reputation spanning half a century with no signs of slowing down has earned OBHAW nominations for Organization of the Year from the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce every year since 2019 and, this time around, the award itself.

“Being recognized by the Hot Springs Chamber is deeply meaningful to all of us at OBHAW,” said Susan Smith, CEO and licensed professional counselor. “It affirms not only the work we do but also the values we stand on and the commitment we have to this community. The chamber represents the heart of Hot Springs — its businesses, its leaders, its families, and the people who make this city vibrant and resilient. To receive recognition from an organization that is so central to the life of our community is both an honor and a reminder of why we do what we do.”

The accolade additionally reinforces the importance of partnership, Smith said. OBHAW’s success is vitally dependent on the relationships it has built within sectors such as education, health care and law enforcement. While the nonprofit works behind the scenes much of the time, its influence across a five-county service area — supporting mental health, stabilizing families, reducing homelessness, improving school outcomes, strengthening public safety and saving local systems hundreds of thousands of dollars — has not gone unnoticed.

“OBHAW is setting an example of what a modern nonprofit can be: innovative, accountable, collaborative, mission driven, financially responsible, community centered and rooted in strong values,” Smith said. “We’re showing that when nonprofits invest in their people, embrace innovation and stay aligned with their mission, they can create lasting change one life and one community at a time.”

One key to longevity lies in building conscious momentum rather than relying on the inertia of early success. The OBHAW team has taken a proactive approach to shaping its trajectory from the inside out. Pivotal to that journey, Smith said, has been the decision to unify the organization around a shared identity and clear direction. Known within OBHAW as “One Vision. One Voice,” it is both a mindset shift and a rallying cry that informs every facet of the group’s work.

“We made the conscious decision to step back, look honestly at who we were and then intentionally define who we wanted to become,” Smith said. “That meant revisiting our vision and values, reshaping our performance evaluations, and aligning our goals across every department. It meant building a culture rooted in openness, accountability, collaboration and integrity, and it meant recognizing that every person on our team contributes to the experience we deliver as an organization.”

To that end, OBHAW has concentrated its efforts on various improvements. Heightened investment in leadership development; an embrace of technological tools; a commitment to transparency; and redoubled efforts to become both a great place to work and a great place to receive care. Each of the pursuits is meant to help the organization grow sustainably and stay responsive to the evolving needs of the region it serves.

“It was pivotal not just because it changed our processes but because it strengthened our identity,” Smith said. “It gave us clarity, confidence and purpose.”

While 2025 was not without its challenges, Smith described it as a year of alignment, innovation, measurable impact and program growth. “Measurable” is perhaps putting it lightly. OBHAW’s work touched 7,570 people in 2025 through therapy, crisis services, school-based programs, emergency response, housing supports and community initiatives. Among its clientele are those most in need; 83 percent come from low- to moderate-income families, and 53 percent are covered by Medicaid.

According to its own figures, OBHAW’s emergency services team completed 944 crisis screenings on individuals at hospitals or jails who may have required inpatient care, successfully diverting 237 individuals to appropriate outpatient services. Collaborating with CHI St. Vincent, the group was able to place a mental health therapist and care coordinator in the hospital’s emergency department and has also embedded staff within the Hot Springs Community Resource Center.

That is to say nothing of OBHAW’s extensive efforts in partnership with the Arkadelphia, Hot Springs and Malvern school districts in 2025 — where the group provided 469 children and their families with therapy directly at school and the Arkansas Department of Human Services — where OBHAW’s drug and alcohol safety program helped 551 individuals meet court-ordered requirements following DWI, DUI or minor-in-possession offenses. Through the Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness, or PATH, OBHAW supported a further 259 people with treatment, case management and referrals for services.

“We have been able to expand our programs, partnerships and community reach because we grow intentionally, guided by data, grounded in our mission and anchored in our core values,” Smith said.

Maybe those are exactly the kinds of settings in which one expects to find such an organization as OBHAW. The area’s oldest and largest community mental health provider did not get to be that way by sticking to the expected, however. The group has demonstrated a commitment to — and aptitude for — spearheading wellness efforts that go well beyond the walls of any office, school or hospital in order to reach the wider community.

“We believe community health extends beyond our clinics,” Smith said. “By participating in volunteer work, partnerships and community events, we reduce stigma and normalize conversations about mental wellness.”

Most prominent of OBHAW’s recent initiatives is the Hispanic Heritage Festival, which, in 2025, celebrated its second year. Produced in coordination with sponsors, performers, other local organizations and plenty of volunteers, the festival serves as a nexus for multiple pillars of OBHAW’s work. Most straightforwardly, the gathering gives attendees the chance to connect with local resources and learn about available mental health services in a more casual, approachable setting. Proceeds also support the nonprofit’s programs for even longer-lasting positive impacts on children and families.

The Hispanic Heritage Festival functions on a deeper level, as well, and one which OBHAW was just as mindful of when planning the event. According to the group’s own description, the festival fosters connection, cultural pride and access to support, and “by bringing families together to celebrate shared heritage through music, dance and community engagement, the event strengthens social bonds and reduces isolation, which are key factors in emotional well-being.”

“Community engagement and collaboration ensures that we are not only service providers,” Smith said. “We are community partners.”

OBHAW is poised in the year ahead to make significant gains in terms of decisive, community-centered impact. The organization is looking to further strengthen its partnerships, bolster donor development strategies, launch new programs and services, and modernize its operations and efficiency through digital tools.

Of course, the surest indication of success is reflected in the feedback received from the people whose opinions matter most. The group’s client satisfaction surveys reveal an exceptionally positive experience; respondents consistently feel accepted and respected in their care, and an overwhelming majority indicated they would “confidently recommend OBHAW to friends and family” — fitting, to say the least, for the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce 2026 Organization of the Year.

“Being honored by the chamber strengthens our resolve,” Smith said. “It inspires us to continue raising the bar, expanding our reach, and staying true to our mission of bringing hope and health to our communities one life at a time. It’s a moment of pride for our entire organization and a reminder that when a community stands together, real change is possible.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF HOT SPRINGS CHAMBER AWARDS HERE.