Voices of Affrilachia (VOA) originated from a listening session facilitated by Philip Cooper for DHHS leaders Victor Armstrong and Dr. Michelle Laws, focusing on the needs of BIPOC communities in Western North Carolina (WNC). Funded by Dogwood Health Trust and hosted at the YMI Cultural Center, the session illuminated mental health disparities and potential solutions across several counties. Impressed by the insights, DHHS provided funding through Partners Behavioral Health to United Way of Rutherford County to address mental health stigma among BIPOC communities in WNC.

As the leader of VOA, Philip Cooper oversees a reentry team comprising two cross-trained CPSS as CHWs, offering community-based reentry services primarily in counties lacking reentry councils. He also provides consultancy for rural leaders seeking to establish reentry services, though the focus in these areas often gravitates towards issues like harm reduction and opioid use disorder. Philip's role extends to community engagement, recruitment of CPSS and CHWs from diverse backgrounds, providing sponsorship for training, and conducting speaking engagements on equity in behavioral health while managing administrative tasks for VOA's initiatives.