Health Forward Awards $6 Million in Mental Health Grants

KANSAS CITY, MO – The current economic recession’s job losses, housing and stock market crises and other uncertainties have paralleled growing demands on mental health services across the metro Kansas City area. After receiving a record amount of requests, the Health Forward Foundation (Health Forward) Board of Directors announced at today’s meeting that it will award $6 million in mental health grants to 31 agencies.

Health Forward received a record 92 applications totaling over $19 million in requests. External reviewers from outside the Foundation’s service area reviewed the applications and their recommendations were forwarded to the Health Forward Board of Directors for finalapproval.

“Mental health disorders affect persons of all economic, racial and ethnic groups, but especially those that are uninsured and underserved. And today, there are more uninsured individuals in our community than ever before. Agencies requesting mental health grants from Health Forward frequently report an increased demand for services on an already stressed system,” said Larry Blankinship, Chairman of the Health Forward Board of Directors. “Because of the impact that mental health disorders have on the overall health of our community, we are proud to award these grants to agencies that help advance our vision of Healthy People in Healthy Communities.”

At its July 23 board meeting, Health Forward awarded the following grants:

Two-year $184,877 grant to Child Advocacy Services Center to provide children Day Treatment and Outpatient Treatment services.
Two-year $153,272 grant to Cornerstones of Care for a training, education and support program to better serve lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning youth.
$105,000 grant to the County of Lafayette, Missouri for case management services for individuals assigned to the County’s drug court program.
$200,000 grant to Crittenton to enhance advanced treatment efforts for children requiring acute psychiatric hospitalization and after care services.
Two-year $92,748 grant to the University of Missouri-Kansas City to partner with Rose Brooks Center to provide mental health and domestic violence services to refugee women and their families.
$78,696 grant to DeLaSalle to provide mental health therapy, case management and follow-up for at risk students.
Two-year $130,000 grant to El Centro to support the Si, Se Puede (Yes, You Can) domestic violence program.
Two-year $250,000 grant to Gillis Center to provide case management services to youth in its day treatment program.
$49,534 grant to Gordon Parks Elementary School to provide individual and group therapy to students.
$70,000 grant to House of Hope for case management, mentoring and advocacy related to Project S.H.E.
$100,000 grant to Jackson, Johnson and Wyandotte County CASA for volunteer recruitment and training
Two-year $125,000 grant to Jewish Family and Children Services to provide mental health services to older adults.
Two-year $30,000 grant to Jewish Vocational Services to provide advanced training in mental health and domestic violence to interpreters.
$91,330 grant to Kansas City Community Center for its Fathering Project focusing on preventing family violence.
Three-year $698,074 grant to Kansas City Free Health Center to expand capacity to provide behavioral health services for the uninsured.
$10,000 grant to KIPP Endeavor Academy to implement a play therapy program for students requiring mental health intervention.
$122,443 grant to Legal Aid of Western Missouri for the Mental Health Court Diversion Project.
Two-year $424,389 grant to Mattie Rhodes Center to for a new domestic violence program for Hispanic families.
Two-year $250,000 grant to Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault for Mapping Individual Solutions to Trauma (MIST) project, which brings MOCSA services to hard-to serve populations.
$112,000 grant to Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association for its Strengthening Our Families project.
Two-year $330,002 grant to Pathways Community Behavioral Healthcare for mental health services in Lafayette and Cass counties.
Two-year $233,469 grant to Reconciliation Services to expand mental health services.
Two-year $675,452 grant to ReDiscover and Comprehensive Mental Health Services for a community-based hospital diversion team.
$242,424 grant to Rose Brooks Center for Project SAFE, a school-based violence prevention program.
Two-year $499,916 grant to Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center for a co-occurring disorders treatment program.
$95,000 grant to Sheffield Place to provide therapeutic interventions for homeless mothers and children.
$56,925 grant to Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Services to provide mental health assessments and treatment.
$86,735 grant to Sunflower House to provide mental health services to victims of child abuse and their families.
Two-year $300,000 grant to Swope Health Services to provide mental health services for those assigned through the Mental Health Court Diversion Program.
$112,000 grant to The Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics for its Child at Risk Evaluation (CARE) clinic.
$90,714 grant to University of Kansas Center for Research to work with kids in the Rosedale Middle School to provide mental health services.