Interact for Health has announced a second round of community grants, aimed at bolstering youth mental health prevention services within school-based settings. This initiative represents the latest step in the organization’s five-year strategic plan, which places significant emphasis on enhancing mental health and well-being, particularly among young individuals. This additional $1 million investment supplements the previous $3.7 million in community grants and the organization’s extensive engagement in school-based services.
The six recipients of these grants include:
Family Nurturing Center of Kentucky ($175,000): In collaboration with Learning Grove, this project aims to provide site-based services at two of their 14 locations, catering to preschoolers. A specialist will be on-site for two days each week, with the fifth day designated for teacher consultation, training, staff meetings, and parent gatherings.
1N5 ($200,000): Through their “Building Resiliency in Youth” program, 1N5 seeks to enhance students’ knowledge and efficacy in coping with mental, emotional, and social stressors. This initiative also focuses on normalizing mental health discussions and breaking down barriers that inhibit young people from seeking help.
Best Point ($108,000): Best Point aims to incorporate trauma-informed care and evidence-based prevention programs into their School-Based Behavioral Health initiatives. This funding will enable the expansion of these programs to up to six additional schools, creating a nurturing and empathetic environment for students who have experienced adverse circumstances.
Child Focus ($192,000): Child Focus plans to expand its “Signs of Suicide Prevention (SOS)” Program, which educates students about identifying signs and symptoms of mental distress in themselves or their peers and encourages them to seek help from a trusted adult. The program combines universal education on depression and suicide with depression screening to identify students in need.
Preston Brown Foundation ($150,000): This grant supports the expansion of the REFUEL and Rally Champs programs. REFUEL trains sports coaches in mental health first aid and provides mindfulness and resiliency training to students. Rally Champs focuses on recruiting mentors for students and equipping them with mental health first aid skills. Both programs aim to normalize conversations about mental health, raise awareness of available services, and increase parental and community involvement in youth mental health programming.
Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs (UMADAOP) ($200,000): UMADAOP’s initiative, “Extended School-Based Prevention and Mental Health Wellness Kinship Wraparound Programming,” aims to mitigate risk factors and enhance protective factors to reduce youth substance use and address behavioral and mental health needs. The goal is to equip youth with strategies for making healthy choices, improve peer interactions, resist negative influences, enhance communication skills, and boost academic performance.
Kate Schroder, President, and CEO of Interact, expressed enthusiasm about these partnerships, emphasizing their focus on scaling proven prevention-based services. She highlighted the importance of early interventions to meet the needs of young people and reduce the demand for extensive treatment.
The primary objective of this funding is to implement school-wide interventions promoting positive social, emotional, and behavioral wellness for everyone—students, educators, and staff. This initiative will expand services across more than 40 schools in Ohio and Kentucky and provide specialized interventions and support for students at risk of mental health issues. According to the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports Framework, these methods have proven effective for over 90% of students.
Deanna Hillard, Program Manager of Youth Mental Health, highlighted the significance of supporting youth mental health prevention efforts in the region, emphasizing the need for funding in this often under-prioritized area.
This initiative underscores Interact for Health’s commitment to enhancing mental health outcomes among young individuals and promoting a holistic approach to mental health care that encompasses prevention, intervention, and treatment.
