Grants will provide school-based mental health in services in Otsego County

NORTHERN MICHIGAN - The Charlevoix County, Otsego County and Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area community foundations have been awarded a grant of $103,500 from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to support initiatives aimed at improving the quality of health for children in the region.

The grants will increase access to mental health services for youth by establishing five days per week of school-based mental health provider time in Charlevoix and Otsego counties and six days per week in Emmet County. Grant funding will pay for initial start-up costs until reimbursements from billable services are received.

Embedding a mental health provider within the school increases youth access to mental health services and supports early intervention, which corresponds to better outcomes later in life.

The Charlevoix County Community Foundation will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant. "We're very pleased to collaborate with our partner foundations in Emmet and Otsego Counties, as well as with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan," said Chip Hansen, Charlevoix County Community Foundation president. "The grant proposal was stronger because of our ability to work together."

More than 30 community foundations across Michigan applied for funding through the Michigan Health Endowment Fund's fall 2015 grant application process. Grant requests focused on areas such as prenatal care and infant mortality, health services to support adopted and fostered children, healthy food access, wellness and fitness programs, access to mental health services and more.

The three-county grant's focus on mental health is critical.

"We know that there is a great need for additional mental health services for youth, and we know that barriers including complex insurance policies, lack of transportation and an area shortage of mental health providers all prevent youth from accessing the care they need to thrive," said Natalie Kasiborski, family and community health supervisor at the health department. "The current model just isn't sufficient to meet the demand for services. The presence of the grant will ensure that more youngsters with mental health needs will be identified and served," she noted.

Community foundations were eligible to apply for grants in support of programs to improve the health of minor children and seniors in their regions. Those foundations receiving funding, in turn, now have the ability to offer their affiliate foundations or smaller community organizations the opportunity to seek grants that support similar programs.

Dana Bensinger, executive director of the Otsego County Community Foundation, saw value in those connections too.

"We already had a good relationship with our neighboring community foundations, and the Health Department was a perfect fit, too," she said.

Additional partners of this initiative include Alcona Health Center, East Jordan Family Health Center and North Country Community Mental Health.

"We are excited to collaborate this year with community foundations on projects that seek to enhance the well-being of Michigan's children and seniors in their local communities," said Paul Hillegonds, executive director of the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

Community-based, nonprofit organizations also were invited to apply directly to the Michigan Health Endowment Fund under a separate grant program for up to $2 million in grants to support programs related to children and seniors. An announcement related to those requests is expected in March of 2016.

Additional information can be found at the Michigan Health Endowment Fund website at mhealthfund.com.