Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Burress, LPC, NCC, ACS.
Hi Sabrina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, my name is Sabrina Burress and I am a mother (first and foremost), a non-profit CEO and founder, community advocate and leader, a writer, a story teller, and forever learner! I love this question about the voyage or journey, because mine was not linear. I became a single mother at 21 and focused my sights on finding a career path that would give my son the best life. In the early stages of motherhood I worked full time, went to school full time, and raised my son full time by myself. During the next five years I had my second son, graduated with my first and second degrees, but still felt that I had no clear and sustainable path forward. As a result I believe my mental health was significantly impacted. By the time I was 32 I was working on my third degree and found a job that finally felt like it bought meaning to my life in a way no other role had done. I became an intensive in-home worker (IIH). This is a service where you work with families in their home and community setting to get them on a better path to overall health and wellness. “Graduating” my first family from IIH services was both cathartic and revealing. It was during this time that I began to see the enormous barriers that often prevent families and individuals from reaching their mental health goals. I also became keenly aware of my own need to manage health and wellness so that I could remain strong for my children and the families that I served. So I set out for my fourth degree to become a licensed professional counselor. I finished my program in 2018, became licensed in 2022. And have spent the last eight years building an organization that is underpinned by knowledge of the field, lived experiences, and desire to see mental health services done differently. It’s been a wild ride, but I am so grateful for every step it took to get where I am today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think I spoke to this some in my introduction, but no, no smooth road here. One of my greatest challenges has always been knowing or learning when is too much, too much. In addition to my role in my organization, I have also worked on my city’s DEI commission, been a member of our PRIDE leadership team, had a short stint as president of our local branch of the NAACP, among many other community boards, commissions, and coalitions. Across my journey I have had to grapple with how and where my time is spent and really be intentional about honoring rest, renewal, and restoration. I say often to my supervisees that work in this field, “we cannot pour from an empty cup.” This is a lesson learned that sticks with me everyday. The other notable challenge that I struggle with day to day, is just what it means to run a non-profit organization. I made a very intentional choice not to develop just another for-profit model of mental health, because I could see the ways this negatively impacts the very people we are here to serve. However, at the end of the day, it is stressful to feel as though we are constantly chasing down revenue to keep the doors open and the work moving forward. Again, though I think it’s been about learning balance. Do we have enough to keep the lights on and the doors open? If yes, ok, let’s keep moving forward then! If no, where how do we scale back without letting our community down. It’s a fine line, but over the years I think our organization has gotten better and better about towing it, so to speak.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am currently the CEO and Co-founder of ARROW Project, a mental health non-profit organization serving both the Shenandoah Valley, as well as communities all across Virginia via telehealth services. Our organization focuses on three main pillars- reducing access barriers for community members, training and supervising emergent mental health professionals, and intentional community building through partnerships. In the first year, 2018 of this organization we served approximately 162 clients in outpatient counseling. We had 6 student interns, from one university, and we had three solid community partners. As we look to close our current fiscal year , 2026; we have served 688 clients across outpatient, groups, psychological assessments, and community programs. We have served 25 student interns, representing 22 universities across the United States. And we have worked with more than 47 community partners. In 2024 we went through a significant financial shortfall. To the point, that I began telling paid staff to start preparing backup plans. I knew I wasn’t going anywhere, but asking paid staff to stay through the drought was alot. I am most proud that we made it through the other side. I am looking forward to hitting the 10 year mark. It’s a benchmark that will come with much pride and joy. I both love and hate the question about what sets you apart when it comes to ARROW Project. But let me explain, one of our mottos here is “we serve more people when we serve them together.” There will never be a day when one mental health organization can serve the needs of everyone. So we are partners first! We are good at what we do, and we work with alot of great community partners that are great at what they do! However, one of our 2027 strategic goals is building out a playbook, if you will, of what it takes to create and sustain a mental health non-profit. We are all internally very excited about this project and hope that it will be something that we can share locally and even nationally some day.
What are your plans for the future?
Personally my current “next big thing” is completing a doctoral program. As a forever learner, it feels important to me to check that box. I am giving myself five more years to get it started/done. For ARROW Project, the next three years, counting down to our 10 year anniversary are being devoted to strategic operationalization. Moving past the, very important, good intentioned work toward well-polished work-flows that ensure accountability, productivity, and management of measurable outcomes. While the mental health professional in me reads that and sees it sound really “corporate” there is something to be said for being able to walk into the doors of what is already a powerhouse organization and knowing there is a plan for long-term sustainability at work every single day. What comes next with those systems in place is going to be extraordinary!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://arrow-project.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrowproject_org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARROWproject.org
- Other: https://www.wmra.org/wmra-special-features/2021-06-09/storycorps-in-the-valley-being-a-single-parent-helping-others-and-failing-gracefully, https://awholehouseproject.wordpress.com/
