Isra Merchant is based in Dallas, Texas, and serves as Senior Project Manager for Specialty Healthcare at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Through her work, Isra has the privilege of supporting communities facing mental health crises, substance use disorders, and homelessness. Her focus on education, accessibility, and culturally responsive care reflects her belief that these are essential to effective mental health treatment.

Coming from a community still burdened by stigma and limited culturally responsive care, Isra finds her work deeply meaningful—it feels like life coming full circle. She is especially proud of her role last year on the moderating committee for the Muslim Mental Health Conference, which brought together passionate advocates and practitioners to advance mental health awareness.

Currently, Isra is excited to contribute to developing an interactive toolkit for Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams serving rural Texas communities. She sees this initiative as a powerful step toward expanding equitable, culturally relevant crisis response services.

Isra’s commitment to health equity is unwavering. She believes that everyone deserves access to quality behavioral healthcare, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, religion, or geography. Having witnessed both the challenges of limited access and the transformative impact of increased accessibility, Isra is dedicated to advancing equity throughout her career.

Leadership, to Isra, means igniting change from within. She is inspired by Allama Iqbal’s words: “Create an ocean from a dewdrop. Do not beg for light from the moon, obtain it from the spark within you.”