Community Foundation Awards Grants to Expand Mental Health Services in Monroe County

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased demand for mental health services, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has awarded eight grants totaling $150,000.

Grant funding will be used to enhance or expand the capacity of health programs and services to provide mental, emotional, and behavioral health supports in Monroe County.

“The impact of this pandemic on people’s emotional well-being cannot be overstated,” said President and CEO Tina Peterson. “Fear, anxiety, isolation, and the uncertainty associated with this crisis have all contributed to an increased demand for mental health services. While our community’s nonprofits and schools are going above and beyond to provide care and services, we know that they need help to meet the acute demand for mental health programs and support. This grant opportunity will help improve the capacity and resiliency of these organizations to address the needs of individuals of every age and background in our community.” our residents.”

The eight Resilient Community Mental Health Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000.

• Bloomington Housing Authority to support the Mental Health Lending Library. This library will include 10 WiFi and Internet-enabled tablets with video conferencing capability for residents to check out for telehealth/mental health-related needs.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington to expand the Youth Mental Health Bridges pilot program. This collaborative program with Catholic Charities began as a pilot at the Ferguson Crestmont Club last year. This grant will expand the program to all three clubs with onsite training and materials to empower staff to better recognize and respond to youth members’ mental health and behavioral needs.
• Catholic Charities to partially fund an additional mental health therapist. This therapist specializes in working with clients on the Autism spectrum and will allow the agency to treat more adults and teens on the agency’s waiting list.
• Centerstone to partially fund a recovery coach for Kinser Flats residents. The Kinser Flats residential program will offer permanent housing and mental/behavioral health services for previously homeless individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders. 
• Harmony School to help fund an intern from the IU Master of Social Work program. Working with students demonstrating extreme anxiety and learning difficulties, this intern will apply therapeutic activities that identify areas where kids are struggling and help them modify behaviors and develop coping skills.
• LifeDesigns to help fund a board-certified behavior analyst. This health care professional will support clients with challenging behaviors and provide ongoing training to staff on positive behavior modification techniques.
• The Project School to fund a support services intern. This intern will grow the school’s capacity to provide both trauma-induced and ongoing mental health supports for students and families.
• Richland Bean Blossom Community Schools to fund Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) training for all employed adult staff. TBRI training focuses on building trust and safety as foundational components to addressing students’ social and emotional needs and behavioral and learning challenges. 

“We are grateful for the attention Community Foundation has given to mental health needs in this community,” said O’Connell Case, clinical director at Catholic Charities in Bloomington. “Thanks to this grant funding, we are able to increase our capacity to provide mental health services to approximately 100 more individuals/families and 1,000 more sessions annually.”

“We are tremendously grateful for the visionary support of the Community Foundation for this generous grant to increase our capacity for wrap-around services for students and families,” added Amy Jackson, philanthropy & outreach director at the Project School. “This grant will allow us to train a new individual in the field, and expand our ability to support all students, so that they develop increased resilience and life success.” 

For more information on other COVID-19 funding initiatives & grants awarded this year by the Community Foundation, visit: https://www.cfbmc.org/covid-19-coronavirus-response

About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:

Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $30 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $34 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.