The Foundation awards an additional $5.7 million, bringing award total to more than $19.5 million to promote equity in mental health, particularly for people with substance use disorders

The Elevance Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Inc., today announces the expansion of its substance use disorder grants through an additional $5.7 million in awards. Each grant will address substance use disorder, focusing on at least one of the following themes: access to care, quality of treatment, and youth prevention and early intervention. This second phase of grants is a part of the $30 million the Foundation plans to invest through 2024 to make significant progress in addressing the mental health and well-being in our communities, with an emphasis on substance use disorders. This round of grants brings the total awarded so far to more than $19.5 million.

One in three adults in the U.S. report having either a substance use disorder or mental illness in the past year, and 13.5% of young adults aged 18 to 25 report having both a substance use disorder and mental illness. Defined as a mental disorder, substance use disorder affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to the inability to control the use of substances such as legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, and medications.

“Substance use disorder continues to be a public health challenge that’s taking too big of a toll in our communities,” said Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., Chief Health Officer at Elevance Health. “Half of those who have a substance use disorder will experience a co-occurring mental disorder, and vice versa. This next phase of grantees will address an array of care and service options – including crisis response and intervention, community resources, recovery supports and more – while driving specific, measurable outcomes that will ultimately strengthen our communities and advance health equity.”

The new substance use disorder grantees join 15 organizations awarded last year. So far, the first phase grantees have reached more than 161,000 people with prevention and early intervention efforts, in addition to the 1,170 people reached with treatment and community or long-term support.

Youth First received funding from the first phase of substance use disorder grants and works to strengthen youth and families by providing evidence-based programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize success. “Through this funding, more than 1,000 students in Indiana with family history of substance use disorder are receiving mental health prevention and early intervention support,” said Parri Black, President and CEO of Youth First. “This is 32% of our entire caseload, a rate that has held steady since our work has started. Heading into our second year of this program, we know these numbers will continue to rise, reaching more students who need this type of support.”

Twenty organizations will receive more than $5.7 million through 2024:

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• California Health Collaborative
• Communities in Schools of Appalachian Highlands
• Community Access
• Downtown Women’s Center
• GMHC
• Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services
• Good Shepherd Gracenter
• Governor’s Partnership to Protects Connecticut’s Workforce
• Heartland High School
• Homeboy Industries
• LA Family Housing
• Mental Health Association in Indiana
• Nexus Recovery Center
• Partnership to End Addiction
• Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care Services Inc.
• The Extension Inc.
• Virginia Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
• Volunteers of America Mid-States
• Wellness Council of Indiana 

For more information about the Elevance Health Foundation and future RFPs, please visit elevancehealth.foundation/for-grantseekers.

ABOUT ELEVANCE HEALTH FOUNDATION

Elevance Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health Inc. The Foundation works to advance health equity by focusing on improving the health of the socially vulnerable through partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal child health; substance use disorder; and food as medicine. Through its key areas of focus, the Foundation also strategically aligns with Elevance Health’s focus on community health and becoming a lifetime, trusted health partner that is fueled by its purpose to improve the health of humanity. To learn more about Elevance Health Foundation, please visit www.elevancehealth.foundation or follow us @ElevanceFND on Twitter and Elevance Health Foundation on Facebook.

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