KENDRICK FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE 2.0
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.
Adult and Child Health Awarded Funding to Expand and Develop Community Mental Health Workforce
Adult and Child Health (A&C) was recently awarded $750,000 in grant funding for three years by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) to enhance the local behavioral health workforce, improve accessibility to peer recovery services, and expand professional growth and development opportunities for Adult and Child Health employees. Funds will support A&C’s efforts in two separate ways: training and certification for Community Health Workers (CHW) and Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) and the development of Career Pathways for A&C staff. Both initiatives link to A&C’s greater vision of cultivating caring communities, where every child, adult, and family have opportunities to live healthy, purposeful lives. The demand for Community Health Workers (CHW) and Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) in Indiana far exceeds the number of available staff in the workforce. CHW and CRS certification courses often have limited openings and a six month or longer waitlist, creating a significant barrier for individuals seeking certification. DMHA funding will support A&C becoming its own training site, creating an additional resource for staff and people in the community to draw upon their personal experience in mental health recovery and/or their professional work experience at A&C as they look to advance their mental health career through certification. To raise awareness and interest in CHW and CRS certification as a career option, A&C will partner with local high schools, adult education centers, and other organizations to provide information to the public. Built-in scholarship money will be made available for behavioral health technicians and recovery specialists who want to take their skills further. “At A&C, we know that our employees are our greatest asset,” said Denise Amato, Executive Vice President of Operations. “This grant funding should help us attract and connect with a new wave of compassionate, mission-driven people who are interested in pursuing a career in community mental health.” In addition to expanding the certified health workers and peer specialist workforce, the DMHA grant award will be used to fund staff engagement, recruitment, and retention initiatives in A&C’s Career Pathways program, which promotes long-term growth opportunities for employees of Adult and Child Health. DMHA grant funding will support increased staffing, mentoring, and training resources so that A&C employees have access to the tools and support needed to reach their career goals. This heightened focus on career growth and development is one of several initiatives in place to promote the well-being of Adult and Child’s workforce, including financial assistance for employee continuing education, opportunities to serve on taskforces, and access to health and wellness staff-led self-care groups that are supported within the organization. A&C is honored to be one of only a few selected organizations from over 90 organizations who submitted proposals for the Behavioral Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention Innovation Grant Program. Both components of A&C’s planned use for grant funding will strengthen A&C’s workforce capacity, ultimately leading to better mental health services for persons in the community. Adult & Child Health 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 the opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. Learn more at www.adultandchild.org.
Adult & Child Health Gears up for Year Two of Kendrick Foundation Grant Funded Program Supporting Morgan County Schools
Adult & Child Health (A&C) is excited to announce a successful start to the second year of their partnership with Kendrick Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports education and initiatives that improve the health and well-being of Morgan County residents. Kendrick Foundation awarded A&C over $540,000 of grant funding this year as part of a three-year commitment to support school-based and school-linked mental health services for Morgan County school-aged youth. During the first year of the program, A&C served nearly 200 students across Mooresville, Martinsville, and Monrovia school districts. With those students enrolled in services, A&C provided over 1,400 individual therapy sessions, 160 group therapy sessions, and completed 34 assessments with students experiencing a mental health crisis. Additionally, A&C provided teacher support through professional development, education, and group therapy services for interested staff. Beyond the school setting, A&C staff worked with more than 40 families of enrolled students as a link to clinical services and family therapy sessions. The partnership with Kendrick Foundation began its second year this July and has continued to be a well-received collaboration across the county. The impact to students, teachers, and families has improved school operations. “This has been a positive collaboration with A&C staff. The staff work to meet the needs of the whole child and desire to be part of the school team. The work done in the Positive Approach to Student Success (PASS) program and support has been very beneficial to this student group. We’re excited about the continued services and future opportunities for this program in Mooresville Schools,” said Windy McGowen, Mooresville County School District. The year-two initiatives for Adult & Child Health will include an increase in community outreach, caregiver support and training, teacher support and training, building connections across Morgan County, increased mental health awareness education, and continued service provision for more youth and families across Morgan County. “We have developed such a solid infrastructure across the county and are so excited to continue to offer mental health training and support, increase collaboration in each district, and thrilled to partner with others in the community to increase connection. We believe we can build on last year’s success to have an even better school year,” said Elizabeth Stirn, LCSW, Assistant Director of School-based Services. Adult & Child Health 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 the opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. For more information about Adult & Child Health programs, please contact Cate Porter, Marketing & Communication Manager, at 317-882-5122.
Adult & Child Health Receives Federal Funding to Expand and Optimize Telehealth Technology
Adult & Child Health (A&C) was awarded grant funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for healthcare technology to improve efficiency and access to care. Announced in early November, the FCC awarded Adult and Child Health and 74 other healthcare organizations grants through its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. As a part of the CARES Act, the COVID-19 program supports the efforts of health care providers to continue serving their patients by providing reimbursement for telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adult & Child Health was awarded $516,208 for laptops, tablets, Wi-Fi hot spots, a telehealth platform, and remote patient monitoring devices such as glucometers, otoscopes, stethoscopes, and blood pressure monitors. This allows providers to treat patients remotely and directly in the community from homeless shelters to schools – and to support treatment not only for COVID-19, but also for health care conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic respiratory issues, among others. As a Federally Qualified Health Center Look Alike program, Adult and Child Health’s four family medicine clinics have been providing telehealth services since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Expansion of telehealth services funded by the FCC grant coincides with and complements a larger healthcare technology initiative as A&C moves to a new medical records system. In December 2021, A&C will switch to a new electronic medical record system (EMR), NextGen. The implementation of this industry leading EMR will lead to improved customer services, access, efficiency, and improved health outcomes. Working within NextGen, A&C providers will have access to a telehealth platform fully integrated within the patient medical records or seamless workflows and ease of use for both patients and staff. “We are very excited about this program. There is a lot of reach within this technology project. We’ll be able to better equip our patients to monitor their chronic conditions from home, our staff to provide high quality remote care. We’re also able to better support our community partners in homeless engagement projects and school-based telehealth services for parents,” said Kerri Lewis, Chief Information Officer at Adult & Child Health. “It’s very exciting because ultimately it improves the health of the patients who have serious chronic health conditions and need additional monitoring.” Adult & Child Health will utilize FCC grant funding to purchase new end user hardware, medical testing devices, waiting room kiosks, and remote monitoring technology. The NextGen EMR, with integrated telehealth capability, is scheduled to be implemented in early December and remote patient monitoring will be available for rollout in early 2022. Adult & Child Health 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 the 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.
