St. David’s Community Health Foundation (SDCHF) announced today that they have awarded $2.3 million in grants to area nonprofit organizations to help address mental health needs in the Central Texas region.
“In our third year of making grants in the mental health sector, we have increased our grants by more than 56 percent, an increase we support as we have seen the value of integrating mental health care with other health resources at the clinical level,” said Earl Maxwell, CEO of St. David’s Community Health Foundation. “As part of our mission of increasing access to health care, we are gratified to see the positive benefits of providing mental health grants along with the grants we make toward physical good health.”
SDCHF provides grants to selected organizations on a twice-yearly schedule: physical health grants, grants for aging adults, and grants for special populations in December of each year; and mental health grants in June.
The 2007 grants provided funds for mental health care to accompany physical health care at two Central Texas safety net clinics, Lone Star Circle of Care in Williamson County and People’s Community Clinic in Austin. A year-long study showed the medical benefits of integrated care, and the 2008 grants continue to support those clinics’ integrated mental health care programs.
“The vast majority of the 975 patients we have treated since starting this program in 2006 are uninsured and have had little access to mental health services,” said Dr. Lucius Ripley, psychiatrist at Lone Star Circle of Care. “By integrating psychiatric and primary care services, daily consultations between myself and our primary care providers are routine, making psychiatric treatment both more efficient and effective. None of the success we have experienced would have been possible without the significant support of the St. David’s Community Health Foundation, and we are grateful for the Foundation’s continued support of LSCC’s adult and our new child and adolescent mental health programs.”
“We have seen incredible results with our patients who participate in the integrated behavioral health program,” said People’s Community Clinic clinical care manager Megan Zesati. “Funding for the program allows us to provide a continuum of care in the complex lives of our patients, who might otherwise not seek help for their emotional issues. Very often, helping alleviate their emotional burdens has helped the patient and their doctor better cope with their physical or chronic illness.”
A complete listing follows of the grants announced today by St. David’s Community Health Foundation.
For more information on St. David’s Community Health Foundation, visit www.sdchf.org.
St. David's Community Health Foundation Mental Health Grant Totals 2006-2008 Year Amount ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 $811,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2007 $1,347,417 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008 $2,309,632(a) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) includes $20,000 for ongoing program evaluation
St. David's Community Health Foundation Grant Totals 2004-2008 Year Amount ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004 $1,188,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2005 $2,016,908 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 $4,101,131 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2007 $5,222,150 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2008 $7,072,310 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
St. David's Community Health Foundation 2008 Mental Health Grant Recipients
St. David's Community Health Foundation Mental Health Grants for Psychiatric Bed Crisis $266,961 -- 166% increase over 2007 total of $100,000
Austin Recovery: Grant for one detox bed and three residential treatment beds for existing patients at ATCMHMR, as part of overall strategy dealing with emergency room crowding by mental health patients.
St. David's Community Health Foundation Mental Health Grants for Care $1,862,671 -- 54% increase over 2007 total of $1,207,417
Any Baby Can: Grant supports No Estas Solo, in-home counseling for clients in any of ABC’s programs; will serve an additional 85 clients per year.
Austin Child Guidance Center: Grant supports further expansion of psychological assessment unit; will allow more assessments, more individual counseling, and more group counseling.
Breakthrough: Grant supports Project Safety Net; provides mental health evaluation, counseling, and treatment services for middle and high school students participating in Breakthrough programs.
Communities in Schools: Grant supports salary increases for campus program managers in middle-school programs and operational support.
Easter Seals-Central Texas: Grant supports salary for a counselor; will provide free counseling to clients in the Transitions Project who have mental health issues, physical disabilities, and substance abuse issues.
FamilyConnections: Grant supports Parents of Newborns project, whose staff provides counseling and support for women identified with post-partum depression at hospitals.
Family Crisis Center: Grant supports the school-based counseling program and provides an additional component of partial funding for group counseling for anger management in teens.
Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center: Grant supports continued funding for sexual assault and family violence programs.
Helping Hand Home for Children: Grant supports psychiatric services for 35 children staying in HHH foster care homes; supports training for foster parents.
Interagency Support Council of East Williamson County: Supports East Williamson County school-based mental health project; provides counseling, therapy, and case management for students.
Leander ISD: Grant supports school-based counseling services at five schools; will allow a 5 percent increase in number of students served.
LifeWorks: Grant supports additional counselor for Youth and Adult Counseling Program.
Lone Star Circle of Care: Grant supports additional child psychiatrist for clinic’s child and adolescent program.
People’s Community Clinic: Grant supports clinical social worker staff.
SafePlace: Grant supports a broad range of counseling services for children and adults; will address the waiting-list issue and allow SafePlace to serve more clients.
Samaritan Center for Pastoral Care: Grant supports fee assistance for low-income uninsured families.
SIMS Foundation: Grant supports funding for counseling, psychiatric, and addiction intervention for local musicians.
Waterloo Counseling: Grant supports Project Counselor staff, Clinical Director position, and project supervision.
St. David's Community Health Foundation Mental Health Grants for Capital Funds $160,000 -- 700% increase over 2007 total of $20,000
Capital Area Mental Health Center: Grant supports facility expansion; will lead to a 25 percent increase in number of clients served.
People’s Community Clinic: Grant supports expansion/renovation of space for Integrated Behavioral Health Care Initiative.
Samaritan Center for Pastoral Care: Grant supports capital campaign.
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