The Healthcare Initiative Foundation Awards $60,000 to impact #7500 Montgomery County residents as they access physical healthcare, mental health services, and social service programs.
Montgomery County, MD – June 26, 2020 – In June 2020, the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) invested $60,000 in #9 Montgomery County nonprofit organizations that will help to offer solutions to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare in the county. HIF’s grants support behavioral health access across the lifespan; access to quality and comprehensive health and wellness services; sustainable integrated business models for safety-net services; sustainable service delivery systems and safety-net services; and the growth of a highly skilled and culturally competent healthcare workforce. HIF is excited to be able to be able to partner with such spectacular organizations representing the very best of Montgomery County’s nonprofit community.
These nine nonprofits represent a wide variety of health and wellness services that have been uniquely adapted to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the movement for race equity and social justice. To this end, approximately, 46% of the investments are supporting behavioral health for adults and children as we all work to respond to the overwhelming trauma that has impacted our community.
Lynn Arndt, Executive Director of BlackRock Center for the Arts, one of the small grant recipients shares, “Every week, the Upcounty Consolidation HUB at BlackRock provides food, diapers, hygiene kits, and essential items to hundreds of the most vulnerable families in Upper Montgomery County. HIF understands the needs of these families who have been disproportionately impacted by the virus and the power of collaboration. HIF’s early support of the HUB through this grant was essential to the creation of the HUB. We are is just one example of how the foundation makes our community better every day.”
Behavioral Health Across the Lifespan: $27,500 investment to impact #151 individuals
Boys Town Washington, D.C. – $15,000 Provide a Child Psychologist to begin comprehensive psychological evaluations and assessments of #50 children with increased telehealth capabilities.
Identity – $10,000 Provide accessible group therapy sessions to #36 parent, family, and/or caregivers at three Upcounty Montgomery County schools to increase life-skills management of anxiety, isolation, and self-care practice.
NAMI Montgomery County – $2,500 Provide #65 Montgomery County residents affected by mental health conditions with free peer-led support through Connection Recovery Support groups and Peer-to-Peer class as a response to the increased mental health needs initiated by COVID-19.
Access to Quality and Comprehensive Health and Wellness Services: $22,500 investment to impact #3,862 individuals
Germantown HELP – $5,000 Provide necessary food items and delivery to #3200 emergency food clients whose needs have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spirit Club Foundation – $5,000 Host regular online fitness and yoga classes for #60 Montgomery County youth with disabilities who are unable to attend their usual classes due to COVID-19 through a partnership with KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now).
Vikara Village – $10,000 Provide low-cost alternative to traditional mental health treatments through trauma-informed Body Love Yoga program that promotes a healthy sense of self #600 to middle and high school youth.
Shared Horizons, Inc. – $2,500 Provide financial support for #2 Montgomery County families who have a need for a specific medical device, equipment, or therapeutic support that is not otherwise covered by other programs, such as Medicaid.
Sustainable Integrated Business Models for Safety-net Services: $5,000 investment to impact #3,500 individuals
BlackRock Center for the Arts: $5,000 Provide operational support for the coordination of the Upcounty Consolidation Hub to serve #3500 individuals and their households by providing food and fresh produce, household items, COVID-19 quarantine kits, diapers, and more.
Culturally Competent Healthcare Workforce: $5,000 investment to impacted #36 individuals
Urban Alliance – $5,000 Serve #36 Montgomery County Public School seniors through the High School Internship Program (HSIP). The program includes a 6-week workforce readiness bootcamp, mentorship, a Public Speaking Challenge, and long-term employment goal planning and will be available virtually to allow for accessibility.
HIF supports organizations, within our geographic and focus area, thatimprove the quality and delivery of healthcare, expand the availability of comprehensive healthcare, build appropriate capacity in the healthcare network, and grow the healthcare workforce for Montgomery County residents. To learn more, please visit our website at www.hifmc.org and like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/hifmc.
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If you would like more information about this topic or the Healthcare Initiative Foundation’s grant priorities, please contact Jess Fuchs at [email protected] or 240-499-2827.
Metropolitan Council of Governments shares, “Health Equity: How Opportunities for Health are Shaped by Race and Ethnicity, is a tool to normalize the conversation on why equity matters and the importance of addressing the conditions that restrict opportunities for good health and economic mobility.”
HIF’s website also includes an interactive toggle map of Montgomery County’s life expectancy and its relationship to median income, level of education, and insurance. To view the PDFs of the Healthy Equityand theUneven Opportunities reports, click here.
Funding support for the 2020 ‘Health Equity’ report include Healthcare Initiative Foundation, Potomac Health Foundation, Northern Virginia Health Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and CareFirst Bluecross BlueShield.
The Healthcare Initiative Foundation Awards $740,550 in the FY20 Capacity Building Grant Cycle to #24 Nonprofit Organizations. Projected to Impact Nearly 70,000 individuals.
Montgomery County, MD – May 15, 2020 – The Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) awarded $740,550 in FY20 Capacity Building grants to support 24 organizations in Montgomery County, MD working to provide high-quality, comprehensive, and sustainable healthcare. HIF’s grant priorities include: behavioral health access across the lifespan; access to quality and comprehensive health and wellness services; sustainable business models and integrated service delivery for systemic transformation (placed-based initiatives and collective impact models); and the growth of a highly skilled and culturally competent healthcare workforce. These grants are projected to impact more than 70,000 Montgomery County residents.
In 2019, the Foundation made a commitment to more responsibly invest in communities that have historically been underinvested in by stakeholders. In FY20, sixty percent of the total HIF award, or $443,767, is going towards programming aimed at Montgomery County’s historically underinvested in zip codes. Fifty-four percent of our FY20 Capacity Building investment is going towards supporting sustainable service delivery systems and safety-net services across the lifespan.
Support Behavioral Health for Adults and Children: Total funding award in this priority area is $163,500 with #720 individuals to be served.
EveryMind – $63,000 Provides a full-time therapist to offer onsite behavioral health therapy at Daly Elementary School to serve #50 youth and their guardians. The therapist will provide day and evening hours at Daly ES and will accept referrals from Holy Cross Health Center. In addition to the therapy sessions, the program will serve #25-50 family members and at least #10 youth through psychoeducational groups.
Ayuda – $19,000 Provides wrap-around support services and trauma informed behavioral health services for the immigrant community who have experienced domestic violence and human trafficking. The program will serve #35 and will include referrals to local partners for essential services like food and clothing.
Greater Washington Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA) – $11,500 Builds capacity for their 3-pronged approach to education and advocacy around power-based violence. Their youth educational and prevention programming will serve #500.
Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc. (MC) – $50,000 Offers behavioral health services for pregnant mothers in coordination with existing prenatal services at the clinic. The program will conduct care coordination for #70 clients and also provide behavioral health interventions for #30 of these clients. #20 staff members will receive training on maternal mental health.
Warrior Canine Connection – $20,000 Provides Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) to Veterans in partnership with the Cohens Veterans Clinic in Silver Spring, MD. This innovative program uses a professional instructor to train the program participants, who are Veterans, in service dog training modalities using the animals (dogs) who will be a service animal for another Veteran. The program will serve #65 residents, #45 veterans and #20 family members, in an effort to decrease Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) symptoms.
Support Sustainable Service Delivery Systems and Safety-net Services Across the Lifespan: Total funding award in this priority area is $401,000 with #7,184 being served.
American Diversity Group – $32,000 Provides dental screenings, basic treatments, and necessary referrals to #180 students and parents at Daly, Gaithersburg, & Clopper Mill Elementary Schools. Additionally, the program will provide dental screenings and procedures to #250 at 2 dental and 4 health fairs in Montgomery County.
CaringMatters – $25,000 Provides resource coordination for #144 patients receiving care at the Adventist Healthcare Aquilino Cancer Center. #115 of participants will receive access to non-medical community resources through a Resource Specialist. The Coordinator will be the point person for referrals to Hope Connections for the onsite support groups for newly diagnosed patients and to Volunteer Helping Hands for in-home support of those who are seriously ill.
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind – $50,000 Provides eye exams to #770 people (#720 adults at #7 safety-net clinics and #50 youth in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), who are low income or uninsured, for diabetic retinopathy in adults and eye education to all. #50 youth from Daly and Clopper Mill Elementary Schools will receive an on-site eye exam. #40 students will receive 2 sets of eye-glasses. This support enables clinics to meet HEDIS standards for patients with diabetes and state law requirements for 5% of students failing vision screenings to receive a follow-up exam. This school vision expansion pilot is in partnership with Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Children’s Opportunity Fund (COF), MCPS, and HIF.
Crittenton Services of Greater Washington – $20,000 Expands the SNEAKERS program to Seneca Valley and Clarksburg High Schools to serve #30. Their programs are 26 weeks of health, sex, and relationship education.
Family Services, Inc. (FSI) – $50,000 Coordinates access to care and resources to reduce risk and disparities to #332 persons, of which #270 are clients (#150 new, #120 existing). New and existing clients will receive ongoing care and assessment as a part of the Thriving Germantown collaboration. Trauma-informed training will be provided to #150 MCPS staff and faculty in Germantown area schools. FSI also convenes the #20 community partners of the collective impact work to evaluate the effect of the multigenerational, cross-sectoral work.
Maryland Foundation of Dentistry (MFD)- $10,000 Provides navigation and connects individuals with disabilities with necessary dental hygiene and intensive treatments to #100 Montgomery County residents. Working with over 500 local pro bono dentist MFD is able to offer these dental services free of charge. #90 patients will be brought up to ‘good standard of dental care.’
Mobile Medical Care – $34,000 Partners with the 340B Drug Pricing Program to provide 1,000 prescriptions to #400 patients. Through this effort #300 patients with diabetes will have greater access to a more expansive selection of insulin prescriptions at more affordable rates tailored to the patient’s needs. Along with improving quality of care, this is an innovative business strategy. The program will become financially sustainable, offset financial barriers to patients, as well as, earn revenue for the clinic.
Nourish Now – $20,000 Expands existing Nourish Neighborhood program to #10 sites in Montgomery County to serve #160 households and #500 individuals. The food recovery program delivers 3 days of healthy meals once a month to households with a focus on improving food insecurity and promoting the ‘Family Meal.’
Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington – $40,000 Provides comprehensive on-site eye exams to #400 Montgomery County students in 8 participating schools that have failed the school vision screen. #360 of students who complete the exam will receive 2 pairs of glasses at no cost to the family. This expansion pilot is in partnership with Montgomery County HHS, Children’s Opportunity Fund, MCPS, and HIF.
The American Heart Association – $50,000 Implements programming at 3 Montgomery County safety-net clinics (4 sites) for #3,764 patients to improve outcomes related to blood pressure using a bilingual nurse navigator. The nurse navigator will offer education classes to develop standards of practice for quality assurance at the clinics. These protocols will be institutionalized after the first year for the model to be expanded to all Montgomery County safety-net clinics.
The Tree House Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County, Inc – $50,000 Supports #200 child abuse victims by providing direct medical care through their Board-certified Child Abuse Pediatrician. The program also supports the training of #7 Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) nurses at Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Hospital to standardize exam and screening practices to improve health and behavioral health outcomes and assist with possible criminal investigations.
Vietnamese American Services, Inc – $20,000 #500 seniors will receive support through the Vietnamese Adult Medical Day Center. Services at the Center include medical care provided by a Registered Nurse on staff, appointment scheduling, transportation assistance, and culturally appropriate meals and activities. #400 seniors will be enrolled in health insurance while #150 will receive support in accessing health care services and #15 will be referred to Mobile Medical Care for specialized health care services.
Promote Sustainable Integrated Business Models for Safety-net Services Across the Lifespan: Total funding awarded in this priority area is $77,050 with #150 being served.
Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) – $45,000 Continues the operation of the Partners in Care model with their #7 community partners at Homecrest House while expanding the programming and services to a new location in Silver Spring at Springvale Terrace. Providing #100 residents with care coordination with the goal of enabling residents to remain in their homes.
Manna Food Center – $32,050 Provides healthy food access to #150 Montgomery County seniors by offering no-cost Lyft rides to Manna’s new food market location in Silver Spring. The program also increases access to SNAP benefits to #36 seniors by providing assistance with the application process and a partnership with the Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA) to offer navigation services.
Promote the development of a culturally competent healthcare workforce: Total funding awarded in this priority area is $50,000 with #26 being served.
Leadership Montgomery – $50,000 Offers the opportunity for #20 Montgomery County nonprofit health and wellness professionals to go through Phase 1 of the two-day/16-hour Racial Equity Institute (REI) workshop. Additionally, #6 professionals from 2 Montgomery County nonprofit organizations will have the opportunity to complete the 8-month Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) training.
Support Sustainable Service Delivery Systems and Safety-net Services Across the Lifespan: Total funding awarded for this priority area is $49,000 with #61,340 being served.
Institute for Public Health Innovation – $28,000 Continues the development of #35 new Local School Wellness Councils in MCPS for #60,000 students in a total of #135 schools by March 2021 with the goal of implementation in all #207 schools. The project will also offer trauma-informed training for #100 MCPS staff (Administrative and School Wellness Coordinators) to infuse these learnings into their school wellness plans. This support provides match funding to secure the Trinity Health Community Transformation multi-year grant.
Montgomery County Food Council – $13,000 Supports the ongoing work of the Food Security Council Advisory Board (FSCAB) which provides outreach, resources, and training to residents experiencing food insecurity to become resource navigators and leaders in their communities as well as develop a report with recommendations and action items to reach #500 community members. Through community action advocacy events a total of #1170 residents to be engaged in solutions for food insecurity.
Nonprofit Montgomery – $5,000 Montgomery Moving Forward expands their relationship with Holy Cross Health and Shady Grove Hospital and 3 nonprofit healthcare or human service organizations in East County to reach #200 parents. The program will educate these healthcare partner providers about the Early Childcare Education (ECE) toolkit and will encourage them to disseminate the ECE Employer toolkit to parents and caregivers.
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments – $3,000 Supports the development of a ‘Racial Equity’ report by the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health that expands on the ‘Uneven Opportunities’ report. The data will focus on how race impacts health and life expectancy in our region. HIF funds will support this work for Montgomery County. The ten regional Public Health leaders from will come together for a Racial Equity Leadership Series to operationalize this equity work in their communities.
HIF supports organizations, within our geographic and focus area, thatimprove the quality and delivery of healthcare, expand the availability of comprehensive healthcare, build appropriate capacity in the healthcare network, and grow the healthcare workforce for Montgomery County residents. To learn more, please visit our website at www.hifmc.org and like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/hifmc.
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If you would like more information about this topic or the Healthcare Initiative Foundation’s grant priorities, please contact Jess Fuchs at [email protected] or 240-499-2827.
Montgomery County Food Access Grants Awarded to 38 Community Organizations
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Montgomery County awarded 38 food assistance grants to community groups providing food assistance to vulnerable residents and families in the county. A total of $1.2 million was appropriated to increase food access during the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-profit organizations were eligible for up to $75,000. A portion of the funds will be used for partnerships with ethnic grocery stores to increase the availability of culturally appropriate food assistance, as well as deliver hot meals to residents and purchasing food from local kosher markets to distribute to seniors.
“The need for food assistance has grown dramatically because of this pandemic, and I am appreciative of the work with many of our community partners to get food to our residents as best as possible,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We will continue our work together to address the needs of our residents during this difficult time.”
“The economic hardships experienced by countless Montgomery County residents as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have created ever-increasing and sustained demands on food banks, nonprofit providers and community service partners providing food assistance,” said Council President Sidney Katz. “We are deeply grateful for our community partners and their ongoing efforts to combat food insecurity during this extremely challenging time. The Council is committed to providing the resources necessary to assist in these essential efforts across our community.”
The organizations receiving grants, ranging from nearly $7,000 to $60,000, are:
Adventist Community Services
AHC, Inc.
American Diversity Group
American Muslim Senior Society
Bethel World
CASA
Catholic Charities
Chinese Cultural and Community Center
Direct Support for Immigrants
Gaithersburg HELP
Germantown Black Rock Hub
Goshen United Methodist Church
Help for Life Foundation
Hindu American Community Services
Hughes United Methodist Church
Humanity First USA
Indonesian American Association
International Cultural Athletic Association
Islamic Center of Maryland
Islamic Community Center of Potomac
Jewish Council for the Aging
Kingdom Fellowship AME Church
Kings and Priests Courts International Ministries
Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington
DHHS, along with Montgomery County Public Schools, the MCFC and local food assistance providers have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the increasing need for food assistance across the county. To address food insecurity and plan for a greater need, OEMHS created the Food Security Task Force, made up of county staff, community partners and food assistance recipients. A strategic plan to address food insecurity and priorities for future food assistance spending is being developed.
Put the “count” in Montgomery County! Be sure to complete the Census online, by phone, or by mail. It’s safe, confidential, easy, and important. #2020Census #EveryoneCountsMCMD
The Healthcare Initiative Foundation Awards $75,000 in the FY19 Small Grant Cycle to 17 Nonprofit Organizations, Projected to Impact 4,014 Individuals
Montgomery County, MD – June 27, 2019 – The Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) is honored to be partnering with 17 local nonprofits through our FY19 Small Grant cycle. These nonprofits exemplify the strategic priorities of our mission through their community-based programming. Seventeen nonprofits received $75,000 worth of program support with a potential impact of serving 4,014 unduplicated individuals in Montgomery County (MC). The variety of programs receiving support represent behavioral health services to children and families, healthy food access, integrated health services, trauma-informed training to Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) educators, administrators, and support staff, mental health services to our Veterans, and training and supports to increase workplace cultural competencies in the healthcare field.
HIF’s
grants support behavioral health access across the lifespan; access to quality
and comprehensive health and wellness services; sustainable business models and
integrated service delivery for systemic transformation; and the growth of a
highly skilled and culturally competent healthcare workforce.
Behavioral Health Across the Lifespan: $37,500 Granted; An
Estimated 706 Individuals to be Impacted
Ayuda – $5,000 –Provides
increased access to behavioral health services for 24 immigrant victims of
crime (domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking) residing in MC.
Therapists will utilize Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
Boys Town Washington, DC – $7,500 – Establishes
a Behavioral Health Clinic partnership in MC to serve 120 youth through an Integrated
Care Model with a Pediatrician and Psychologist.
Caring Matters – $5,000 –Provides
social supports and community education so that no one dies or grieves alone. Program
will serve 57 Up County individuals that includes education and training to
professionals to increase program referrals and expanding service delivery of
their Good Grief Club and Adult Peer Support Groups. 2019 Brooks Saltsman Award
recipient.
Family Services, Inc – $5,000 –Offers
6-week parent trauma training series at Gaithersburg Elementary School on: what
is trauma; its effect on children and families; adverse childhood experiences;
trauma and the developing brain; strategies for managing stress; self-care and
resiliency; positive discipline; and identifying when professional help is
needed and how to obtain it. 20 parents and 70 individuals will be impacted by
the training.
People Animals Love (PAL) – $5,000 –
Uses human-animal bond to brighten lives, ease pain, and enrich the world of
at-risk children. Program plans to
increase human-animal volunteer teams to 100 so they can provide therapeutic support
at local events and participate in group therapy sessions with partners to 300
individuals.
Vikara Village – $5,000 –Expands
‘Body Love Yoga’ program to 60 MC middle school girls. The program intents to
build a healthy sense of self, community, and belonging through yoga and art
among these young women.
Warrior Canine Connection – $5,000 –Offers
Mission Based Trauma Recovery to 75 MC Veterans at their Boyds location. Program expands hospital-based behavioral
health services to a community setting with intent to reduce pain and stress
and improve overall mood.
Access to Quality and Comprehensive
Health and Wellness Services: $24,000 Granted; An Estimated 2,647 Individuals
to be Impacted
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington – Germantown Branch- $5,000 –Provides direct program, Triple Play, to 100 youth to help combat lack of access to health programs. Triple Play strives to improve the overall health of members, ages 6-18, by increasing their daily physical activity, teaching them good nutrition, and helping them develop healthy relationships.
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind – $12,000 — Conducts follow-up eye exams for 95 students at Gaithersburg Elementary School over 5 screening dates. Program will offer eye exams utilizing the fully equipped Mobile Eye Care Van and licensed Optometrist. At the conclusion of each exam, students in need of glasses will receive them.
Shared Horizons – $2,000 –Manages Pooled Special Needs Trusts (PSNT) for people with disabilities. 2 MC residents, through the Charitable Fund, will receive needed medical or dental care up to $1,000.
Women Who Care Ministries – $5,000 –Offers nutritious weekend meals to low-income MCPS students at Up County elementary and middle schools. Program will impact 2,450 students with a goal to increase 30 more Germantown students served per month.
Sustainable
Business Models and Integrated Service Delivery to Stimulate Systemic
Transformation in the Health and Wellness Sector: $4,750 Granted; An Estimated 565
Individuals to be Impacted
Community Health and Empowerment through Education
and Research (CHEER) – $2,500 –Conducts healthy food deliveries to low-income
individuals based in Southeast MC.
Program will increase food access to 170 individuals.
Gaithersburg HELP – $1,000 –Offers prescription
assistance program to assist a minimum of 20 unduplicated low-income adults and
children in the Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village area who are uninsured or
under-insured to obtain the prescriptions their doctors have prescribed for
them and are required to maintain their health.
Germantown HELP – $1,250 –Provides emergency
assistance for food delivery to Germantown residents. 375 residents will receive perishable and
non-perishable food through this program.
Grow a Highly Skilled, Culturally Competent Healthcare
Workforce: $8,750 Granted; An Estimated 96 Individuals to be Served
Generation Hope – $2,500 –Surrounds
motivated teen parents and their children with the mentors, emotional support,
and financial resources that they need to thrive in college and kindergarten.
19 participants will receive supplies for career-readiness trainings, career
advising, and two field trips to MC-based healthcare focused employers.
Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy –
$5,000 –Offers workplace-based English literacy classes to newly arrived
immigrants that will serve high-growth industries such as health care,
childcare, and/or the service industry at their job sites so they can improve
their English to better serve clients, increase productivity, reduce workplace
accidents, and access healthcare services that are available through their
employers’ health plans. Program anticipates engaging 75 adult learners.
Universidad Ana G. Mendez – Capital Area Campus –
$1,250—Develops Hispanic nursing students’ BSN-acquired skills through mentored
clinical externships. Two students
participating in Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center externship will receive
stipend for transportation, uniforms, and necessary supplies.
HIF supports organizations that offer solutions to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. Within our geographic and focus area, we consider efforts to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare, expand the availability of comprehensive healthcare, build appropriate capacity in the healthcare network, and grow the healthcare workforce. To learn more, please visit our website at www.hifmc.org and like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/hifmc.
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If you would
like more information about this topic or the Healthcare Initiative
Foundation’s grant priorities, please contact Jess Fuchs at [email protected] or 240-499-2827.
