Adult & Child Health (A&C) was awarded grant funding from the Kendrick Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization that supports education and initiatives that improve the health and well-being of Morgan County residents. A&C was one of two nonprofit agencies awarded through the Kendrick Foundation’s $540,000 initiative to provide mental health services, supports, and resources to students in Morgan County schools during the current academic year. This grant is part of a three-year commitment from the Kendrick Foundation to strengthen school-based and school-linked mental health services for Morgan County school-age youth.
A&C currently provides behavioral health services to over 130 schools in Central Indiana. Since 2013, A&C has partnered with Morgan County public schools to reduce at-risk behaviors through prevention and intervention programs. Funding from the Kendrick Foundation will support additional mental health services at Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation, Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, and Monroe-Gregg School District. Students will be invited to participate in voluntary supportive services consisting of individual counseling, family therapy, and case management.
“We are incredibly excited to improve access to our services across Morgan County over the next 3 years. I am thankful to have the opportunity to partner with the Kendrick Foundation and offer expanded services to students in each district,” said Elizabeth Stirn, MSW, LCSW, Assistant Director of School-Based Services at A&C. “This initiative is a true testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion that our school leaders, teachers, and providers have put into serving school-age youth and families.”
A&C’s school-based mental health program is a voluntary service approved through caregiver consent and delivered by mental health professionals. The program will help students by placing staff in schools who are trained to support and assist students experiencing behavioral and mental health issues, delayed development, and/or other life stressors that interfere with their ability to learn.
Schools are a natural setting to promote youth mental health and increase access to family-centered resources. Early treatment for mental health can be effective and result in helping young people stay in school and on track to achieving their life goals. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness can affect academic achievement and lead to higher rates of school dropout, unemployment, substance use, arrest, incarceration, and early death. The partnership between A&C, Kendrick Foundation, and Morgan County schools will facilitate access to needed services, reduce barriers, and increase positive outcomes for students and families.
“When we invest in children’s mental health to make sure they can get the right care at the right time, we improve the lives of children, youth, and families — and our communities,” said Keylee Wright, M.A., Kendrick Foundation Executive Director. “As a result of this initiative, Morgan County residents will have greater access to mental health practitioners and services regardless of their ability to pay.”
Adult & Child is an accredited nonprofit primary care, behavioral health, and social services provider with multiple locations in Central Indiana. We strive for caring communities, where every child, adult, and family have opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. For more information about Adult & Child Health programs, please contact Tina Serrano, Director of Strategic Initiatives, at 317-882-5122.
