SabaterLAB Foundation

Vision 
At the SabaterLAB Foundation, we envision a state where uniquely diverse communities have accessible, inclusive, and equitable rights to operate and serve effectively, efficiently, and sustainably.

Mission
The mission of the SabaterLAB Foundation is:
“Serving to empower uniquely diverse communities by building partnerships, securing funding, running programs, offering integrative services, and providing resources.”

The foundation focuses on delivering accessible, bilingual (Spanish-English) programs in mental health, education, and career development.

Background: Established in 2021, the SabaterLAB Foundation was born out of the longstanding community impact and innovation of its parent organization, Sabater Laboratory for Psychological Innovations Inc. or SabaterLAB for short (founded in 2015). Whereas since 2015, married couple Drs. Sabater had been running their primary business shoulder to shoulder—carrying the weight and bearing the blessings—in March of 2021, they doubled their efforts to serve their community with the establishment of the SabaterLAB Foundation.

Prior to these efforts, the two had made a lifetime commitment to accessible, equitable, and inclusive care because their own personal histories had led them to know that similar services and available resources aren’t always what is wanted or needed to truly help and understand communities of color and unserved populations. Co-founded by Dr. Julio E. Sabater PhD and Dr. Ivelisse Sabater MEd, ThD, the foundation was created to expand equitable access to culturally competent mental health services, educational pathways, and workforce opportunities.

Rooted in the Black Block Cultural District of Downtown Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the foundation is deeply committed to uplifting BIPOC, multilingual, immigrant, and low-income communities across the state.

To accomplish our mission, we intentionally operate to:

1. Build Partnerships: Connect to local and state agencies and organizations. 
2. Secure Funding: Search for grants and donations to carry out our programs.
3. Run Programs: Develop programs that are designed to meet the needs of our communities.
4. Offer Integrative Services: Employ an ecological model and dynamic systems approach that embraces all areas of the community, starting with individuals.
5. Provide Resources: Stand up for equitable access to sustainable skills, strategies, and means to accomplish personal, professional, communal, and cultural goals, seeing this through past conception.

More specifically,

We offer clinical training and service opportunities, volunteers-and-interns-led supported activities, community engagement projects to further reduce stigma around mental health and help seeking, in addition to providing technical assistance for small businesses and creating new jobs. Our multisystemic approach creates a welcoming and secure space to upskill our community members with access to advanced essential mental health strategies, wellbeing self-care, and workforce/real jobs skills, all of which play a critical role within a more comprehensive continuum of care to recovery towards pathways to employment opportunities.

The SabaterLAB Foundation accomplishes its mission and vision through a diverse set of bilingual and inclusive programs designed to address community needs across these areas: Mental Health, Education, and Career/Workforce Development.

Key Programs and Activities

1. SabaterLAB Clinical Training and Service Internship Program
In partnership with Sabater Laboratory for Psychological Innovations Inc. (SabaterLAB), this comprehensive, hands-on training program serves high school and college students interested in psychology, counseling, and community health.

Offers internships, college and career readiness workshops, Youth Mental Health First Aid certification, and community service projects.

Emphasizes diversity, accessibility, and experiential learning to build the next generation of culturally competent mental health professionals.

2. Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification
A nationally accredited training available in both English and Spanish for youth, educators, and community leaders.

Equips participants with skills to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges and substance use disorders.

Promotes early intervention and reduces stigma in underserved communities.

3. Early Childhood Provider Trainings
Certified training courses that offer CEUs through the Center for Early Learning Professionals.

Covers early childhood curriculum, trauma-informed care, grant writing, and computer literacy.

Strengthens the capacity of early educators to deliver inclusive, quality education and care.

4. SabaterLAB Community Care Mini Clinics
Culturally responsive mental health pop-up clinics and community education events that meet people where they are.

Provide bilingual mental health screenings, resource navigation, and preventative care in trusted community settings.

Hosted in locations such as schools, churches, housing complexes, and cultural centers including The Black Block Cultural District.

5. Faith-Based Mental Health Workshops
Blends trauma-informed psychological principles with faith traditions to support mental wellness in religious and spiritual contexts.

Flagship program: Healing in Real Time: A Men’s Guide to Mental Wellness

Adapted for Christian, interfaith, and Spanish-speaking audiences to meet the unique needs of faith-based communities.

6. Technology, Workforce, and Entrepreneurship Development
Delivers digital literacy training and technical assistance for small business owners, emerging entrepreneurs, and underserved job seekers.

Participants gain skills in grant writing, proposal development, and virtual platform navigation.

Special attention is given to women entrepreneurs and BIPOC-led businesses.

7. Organizational and Community Event Workshops, Panels, and Talks
Public education and advocacy events that deepen dialogue on equity and mental health.

Topics include ethnic identity development, mental health equity, youth resilience, culturally responsive care, and faith-psychology intersections.

Events are bilingual and hosted in partnership with universities, community organizations, and advocacy groups.

8. Strategic Partnerships and Community Collaborations
The foundation collaborates with a wide network of institutions and agencies to expand its impact, including:

SkillsRI, The MET High School, William James College, Bryant University, Johnson and Wales University, and more.

Supports statewide initiatives such as Community Listening Sessions under the Olmstead Ruling and harm reduction campaigns in The Black Block Cultural District through partnerships with the Health Equity Zone (HEZ) and other stakeholders.

Impact
Through these programs and collaborations, the SabaterLAB Foundation builds sustainable pathways for individual empowerment and collective well-being. By equipping individuals with the tools to succeed and creating spaces of healing, growth, and equity, the foundation fulfills its commitment to serving Rhode Island’s most uniquely diverse communities.

Visit us online to check out more information on how what we are doing is impacting the lives of many members of uniquely diverse communities.