At DeanHawk Foundation, we are dedicated to providing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Certified Training and mental health programming. Our goal is to equip individuals with the knowledge and resources to support those in need and prevent suicide. We are committed to making these essential services available to all. We need your support to provide this vital programming and financial assistance.

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Victoria Rios, founder of DeanHawk Foundation, recognized a need in her community when she looked for resources after she lost her brother, Dean. Dean was a beloved brother, husband, father, son, uncle, friend, businessman, bird and big game hunter, skilled fisherman, conservationist, as well as an art lover and collector. 

 

Coinciding with her exploration into suicide awareness and mental health, an opportunity within the Catholic Diocese of Dallas to join a newly formed mental health ministry arose. She studied and became a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor for peer-to-peer mental health training in churches, schools, and organizations. The hope is to save lives by offering anyone training, knowledge, and skill sets to identify, recognize, and navigate steps to help peers who may be experiencing a mental challenge or in a mental crisis, backed by first responder support.

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By receiving MHFA  training, anyone can become a certified mental health first aider and play a part in early intervention for mental crisis and suicide. She prays that by sharing this knowledge with others, she might help prevent further deaths and protect other families from having to endure the same pain.

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You may have noticed “The Hawk” on the Home page. It is Victoria's most beloved piece; a mixed media work representing the spirit of her late brother, Robert “Dean” Franks III,  portrayed in this visually sensational bird of prey. Its importance stems from the collaboration of Victoria and Ashley Palmer (her late brother's favorite artist) following his tragic death by suicide in 2018. This work was created using elements of Dean's life: his ski rope and handle, tile from a project he was crafting, fishing lures, a pendant from a light fixture he installed, and pieces of his archery targets.