Kendrick Foundation Announces School-Based Mental Health Initiative 2.0: Invests Over $620,000 for the 2024-25 School Year

Morgan County, IN—The Kendrick Foundation is pleased to announce the School-Based Mental Health Initiative (SBMHI) 2.0. This is a continuation of a successful partnership with 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. The advisory outlined the pandemic’s unprecedented impacts on the mental health of America’s youth and families, as well as pre-existing mental health challenges.

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, including genetics, brain chemistry, 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. The county has higher rates of death by suicide compared to the state, and many residents 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 helps young people stay in school and achieve their life goals. 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 play a crucial role in helping children and youth get early help. They also provide or connect children, youth, and families to services. School-based mental health services bring trained mental health professionals into schools, helping individual youth and connecting them and their 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,” 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 SBMHI 2.0, students across each public school district in Morgan County will continue to have access to supportive voluntary mental health services, including 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 in communities with limited access to mental health providers. These programs are voluntary, approved through caregiver consent, and delivered by trained mental health professionals, including 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 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.