HIF invests in Community-based Mental Health Initiative to allow for program expansion and evaluation.
2020 was a hard year for all of us and 2021 looks to continue to be a trying time but there is a light at the end of this COVID-tunnel! While all of us had to pivot, flex, and adapt in some form, many members of our community were hit much harder. In particular, our Latino community in Montgomery County have been devastated by the pandemic. Through our Emerging Needs investment cycle, HIF was able to provide early support to Identity, based in Gaithersburg, to allow for the evaluation and expansion of their community-based mental health initiative to respond to this dire need. The community mental health project evaluation work will include collaboration with a team of researchers from the University of Maryland School of Public Health. HIF is proud to invest in community-based nonprofits who are able to offer trusted, culturally-competent programming!
In Montgomery County, we are fortunate to have reliable community partners who were ready to implement community-based programming to allow for a safe space to heal and thrive. Early in the pandemic, Identity realized that they would need to accelerate the growth of their mental health support groups by training their non-clinical staff and volunteer parent Promotoras. Promotoras are Latino community members who receive specialized training to provide basic health education and support. They are trained by Identity to provide active listening, trauma-informed coping mechanisms, management of stress, anxiety, grief, and supports for children.
Identity, Inc trains non-clinical staff and volunteer parent Promotoras to provide active listening, coping mechanisms, and management of stress.
To learn more about Identity and their wide variety of amazing programming, visit their website at identity-youth.org.
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To receive additional information about this program or about HIF’s grant investments, please contact Director of Grants and Community Impact at [email protected].
Over the summer, the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) collaborated with CommonHealth ACTION (CHA) to host focus groups with HIF grantees as part of our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) assessment. We had originally hoped to launch this in the spring, but the COVID pandemic derailed these plans and we felt it imperative that we wait until our valued community partners could breathe and fully engage.
As summer fell upon us recovery remained out of sight and the disproportionate impact of the crisis on our black and brown residents was abundantly clear further exemplifying the structural inequities already present in our community. HIF knew that before we could move forward with our fiscal year 2021 funding, we needed to hear from our community partners and decided to forge ahead virtually with the EDI work. We thank and extend our gratitude to the (17) seventeen nonprofits that gave of their time this summer and are excited to share what we learned and how we are responding to the assessment.
EDI Strengths Identified by Partners:
Supports nonprofits and their missions.
Offers capacity building, provides guidance, support, understanding, and listens to objectives and plans.
Furthers EDI work and directs investments to historically underinvested communities.
Offers and funds learning opportunities including EDI trainings and webinars.
Supports partnerships, innovation, and collaboration.
Believes in the power of community supported convenings to give voice to challenges and solutions.
EDI Opportunities Identified by Partners:
Provide greater opportunities for grantees to share their perspectives during decision-making processes.
Data deadlines and reporting requirements are too demanding.
Sustainability policies negatively impact organizations who offer free programs and services.
General operating support is needed and the restricted funding prevents nonprofits from adapting and responding to the community.
Greater focus needs to be placed on cross sectoral responses to address the social determinants of health.
Supports are needed for the health, safety, healing, and restoration of staff.
HIF is proud of the work that has been done and recognizes that our EDI journey continues and initiated some key strategies this fall to further our EDI work. We remain committed to this ongoing internal reflection and evolution so that our investments are not perpetuating the systemic inequities but driving the change we want to see in pursuit of our mission.
HIF’s Fall EDI Journey:
Revamped and streamlined our application and reporting processes to better reflect the priorities identified by our grantees and create better efficiencies and less burden on grantees.
Convened monthly meetings with the Grants Advisory Committee to continue to keep them informed of the opportunities and challenges faced by our community partners.
Planned for grantee panel discussions with the Foundation staff and board to lend greater voice and share priorities.
Surveyed grantees on how they prioritized funding for both their organization and for the community and plan to utilize these results in the grant review.
Relaunched our equity webinars to offer opportunities for grantees to share how they are breaking down barriers to ensure access to programs and services.
Volunteered in the field with our nonprofits and community to connect and learn how to better support efforts through the Foundation’s investments.
Met with all our grantees virtually to revisit where they are and how we can support them in their work and make adaptations to better serve together our community.
We know this journey is not complete and our learning is not done, but with grace, empathy, and persistence we take steps each day towards building stronger and more mutually accountable relationships with our partners and community. Thank you for all that you do each day to support the health and wellness for all in Montgomery County.
Montgomery County awarded $1,126,100 in grants to twenty-eight nonprofits to build additional capacity for their food assistance programs
For a second grant round, the Healthcare Initiative Foundation partnered with Montgomery County HHS, the Montgomery County Food Council, and the Greater Washington Community Foundation to provide nonprofit food assistance providers with funding to support their programmatic operations. Montgomery County issued their press release announcing all twenty-eight grantees on Monday, August 17th. The full release is available below.
For Immediate Release: Monday, Aug. 17, 2020
“Montgomery County has awarded $1,126,100 to 28 local food assistance providers to improve their infrastructure and expand their capacity to provide food access to hard-to-reach communities in Montgomery County during the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This program was funded by the Federal CARES Act as appropriated by the County Executive and Montgomery County Council, the Community Food Rescue mini-grants program, and the newly launched Food Security Fund at the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
The COVID-19 Emergency Food Assistance Provider Capacity Building Grant is a partnership between the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Montgomery County Food Council (MCFC), the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF), and the Greater Washington Community Foundation (The Community Foundation). The County’s Food Security Task Force, formed by the County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS), reviewed and determined all grant awards. The HIF and The Community Foundation are the fiscal agents for the program and will award the money.
These grant awards will support community nonprofit purchases of refrigerators and freezers, shelving and space enhancements, vehicles, forklifts, hand trucks, computers and software, as well as repairs to existing infrastructure. Funded investments will directly expand these organizations’ ability to store and transport larger quantities of shelf-stable and cold-stored food and are estimated to increase community-wide capacity for food assistance distribution and delivery to over 31,000 households.
“I am proud to be part of a community where our nonprofit and faith-based organizations work tirelessly to ensure our residents have access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food, especially during this national pandemic,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Providing funding to help these organizations improve their infrastructure and increase their capacity to feed more residents is money well spent.”
Special consideration was given to organizations who formed partnerships to better serve the community and provide culturally diverse food access services. Despite funding limitations more than half of the applications were awarded full or partial funding. As the County’s food security response to the pandemic continues, it is anticipated that additional funds will be made available to further support initiatives that address the significant food security needs of our community.
“Food insecurity is currently being experienced by more residents in our community than ever before,” said County Council President Sidney Katz. “So many of our neighbors are feeling the instability caused by the health crisis in so many ways. It is incumbent upon us to provide culturally appropriate food to those in need and these funds will do just that. I want to thank all of the nonprofit and faith-based organizations who are forging partnerships to reach out to the communities hardest hit by the pandemic.”
Nonprofit organizations were eligible to apply for up to $85,000. The organizations receiving grants, ranging from $1,075 to $85,000, are:
Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, Inc.
American Diversity Group
Bethesda Cares
Caribbean Help Center, Inc
Chinese Culture and Community Service Center, Inc.
Clifton Park Baptist Church
Damascus HELP Inc.
Guru Gobind Singh Foundation
Indonesian American Association
Islamic Center of Maryland
Kingdom Fellowship African Methodist Episcopal Church
Kings & Priests Court International Ministries Inc.
Liberty Grove United Methodist Church
Manna Food Center
Meals on Wheels of Takoma Park and Silver Spring
Montgomery County Muslim Foundation
Nourish Now Inc
Rainbow Community Development Center
Shepherd’s Table
Small Things Matter
So What Else, Inc.
Southern Bethany Baptist Church
Camillus Church Food Pantry
The Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity
The Salvation Army
Up 2 Us Foundation
Vietnamese Americans Services, Inc.
Women Who Care Ministries
DHHS, along with Montgomery County Public Schools, MCFC, and a network of over 110 local food assistance providers and community partners have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the dramatically increased 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 to create and implement a comprehensive and innovative Food Security Response Strategy.
Montgomery County Government recently partnered with The Community Foundation to launch the Food Security Fund to galvanize private sector and individual support of food access initiatives in the County in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Visit the Food Security Fund website to learn more and contribute.
For the latest COVID-19 updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCoMD.
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 $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.
