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The Kendrick Foundation is pleased to announce the school-based mental health initiative (SBMHI) 2.0. This is a continuation of a successfully established partnership between Adult & Child Health, Centerstone, Youth First, and the county’s four public school systems. This initiative furthers our commitment to improving the mental health of all Morgan County residents. “SBMHI 2.0 has involved an extension of a tremendous amount of work by our grantees and schools over the last few years,” said Amanda Walter, M.D., Kendrick Foundation Board President. “We launched the initial three-year SBMHI in July 2021 to address increased mental health challenges heightened by the pandemic and greater societal issues. Based on the success and continued community benefits of this initiative, we are excited to continue building upon and supporting this effort for another three years.”In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis, outlining the pandemic’s unprecedented impacts on the mental health of America’s youth and families, as well as the mental health challenges that existed long before the pandemic. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges. Mental health is shaped by many factors, from genes and brain chemistry to relationships with family and friends, neighborhood conditions, and larger societal forces and policies. In Morgan County, adults report an average of 5.3 poor mental health days per month and 17% report frequent mental distress. Morgan County has higher rates of death by suicide than the state. Many Morgan County residents also lack adequate access to mental health providers. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, many mental health conditions first appear in youth and young adults, with 50% of all conditions beginning by age 14 and 75% by age 24. One in six youth have a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression, but only half receive any mental health services. Early treatment is effective; it can help young people stay in school and on track to achieving their life goals. In fact, the earlier the treatment, the better the outcomes and lower the costs. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness can lead to high rates of school dropout, unemployment, substance use, arrest, incarceration, and early death. Schools can play an important role in helping children and youth get help early. Schools also play a vital role in providing or connecting children, youth, and families to services. School-based mental healthservices bring trained mental health professionals into schools; this helps individual youth and also serves to connect youth and families to more intensive resources in the community. “Our grantees and local educational institutions continue to go above and beyond to support the mental health needs of youth and families by providing mental health services, supports, and resources to thousands of Morgan County residents, reducing stigma, and creating a culture that supports mental health and wellbeing for all,” said Keylee Wright, M.A., Kendrick Foundation Executive Director. “Maintaining healthy children and families requires all of society—including policy, institutional, and individual changes in how we view and prioritize mental health.” As part of the SBMHI 2.0, students across each public school district in Morgan County will continue to have access and opportunity to participate in supportive voluntary mental health services consisting of individual, family, group, and/or case management provided by: Adult & Child Health – Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation, Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Martinsville, and Monroe-Gregg School District Centerstone – Eminence Community School Corporation Youth First – Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation and MSD of Martinsville School-based and school-linked mental health services reduce barriers for youth and families in obtaining needed treatment and supports, especially for communities with decreased access to mental health providers. School-based mental health programs are a voluntary service approved through caregiver consent and delivered by trained mental health professionals, such as psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Funding for the SBMHI includes: Initial Project Period (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024) Total expenditure: Nearly $4 million Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $1.6 million SBMHI 2.0 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) Total expenditure: Nearly $1.8 million Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $620,000 Funding Sources Kendrick Foundation Collaborating mental health grantee organizations Morgan County educational institutions Government grants and contracts Private funding Formed from the proceeds of the sale of the Kendrick Memorial Hospital in 2001, the Kendrick Foundation invests in conditions that support the physical and mental health of all Morgan County residents. To learn more about how the Kendrick Foundation is leading health initiatives for Morgan County, please visit kendrickfoundation.org.