In this episode of the Small Business Advantage Group Podcast, we take a deep dive into the work of the SocialWorx Advocacy Group - also known as SWAG - and why their mission is so critical in East Texas.

SWAG isn’t just another nonprofit offering temporary help. They provide structural solutions to systemic mental health barriers that prevent underrepresented communities from accessing care. From culturally competent mental health navigation to peer support, education, and community workshops, SWAG operates as a true guide through a broken system.

We explore the organization’s deeply personal origin story, rooted in lived experience with mental health crises and institutional failures, and examine why East Texas - particularly Smith County and Region 4 - faces such urgent challenges. With the highest suicide rate per capita in the region and limited access to providers, SWAG has become the only nonprofit in the county offering free, culturally competent mental health navigation services.

This conversation breaks down how their navigation model works, why follow-up care matters, how language access builds trust, and how education and empathy workshops help reduce stigma at the community level.

If you care about mental health access, nonprofit leadership, or structural change that actually works, this episode offers clarity, perspective, and a powerful real-world example of impact.