News

Health Foundation awards new grants for youth and mental health

October 19, 2021

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation recently awarded 11 grants totaling more than $1.6 million under the Healthy Kids and the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Initiatives.

More than $282,000 was awarded to three nonprofit organizations under the Healthy Kids Initiative. The purpose of this Initiative is to improve a range of health outcomes by engaging disconnected youth in the Paso del Norte region in high quality programs during out-of-school hours.

The Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Initiative works to develop, lead, and invest in partnerships, organizations, programs and communications to promote emotional well-being, reduce stigma and negative bias, and improve access, ease of navigation, and continuity of care for mental and behavioral health service. More than $1.2 million was awarded to eight nonprofit organizations in the region.

The funded organizations are:

Healthy Kids Initiative

Creative Kids, Inc - $97,872.50
Project ABLE (Art Broker Learning Experiences)
To provide a year-round arts-based program to 100 disconnected youth in Fabens, TX, using the Artists-in-Residence model and pilot the model in San Elizario, TX.

Organizacion Popular Independiente, A.C. - $142,980.78
Niñas, Niños y Jóvenes en Acción
To provide out-of-school and summer programming to 600 disconnected youth, ages 5-17, in Southwest Ciudad Juarez, MX.

Salud y Dessarrollo Comunitario de Cd. Juárez, A.C. - $42,044.20
Conectando con ValorArte-Recargado
To provide an out-of-school and summer dance and art programs to 200 disconnected youth, ages 6-17, in Ciudad Juárez, MX.

Mental Health and Emotional Well-being

Big Brothers Big Sisters of El Paso - $30,000.30
Destigmatizing Mental Illness through mentorship and Mental Health First Aid
To enhance mental health awareness and reduce stigma and negative bias by having 3 Big Brothers Big Sisters staff become Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA-Y) certified instructors. Then staff will train 74 individuals Bigs and other volunteers in the greater El Paso area.

City of Alamogordo - $151, 731.00
Improving Systems to Improve Care: Building a Culture of CIT in Alamogordo
To strengthen and sustain a Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) in Otero County, NM.

Comision de Salud Fronteriza Mexico-Estados Unidos - $198,595.90
Fortalecimiento de la Atención en Salud Mental y Reducción del Estigma Asociado a estas Enfermedades en Cd. Juárez – Proyecto ROTMENAS 2022
To implement trainings, strengthen the ROTMENAS collaborative, and to advocate for mental health policy change in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

El Paso Child Guidance Center - $184,841.80
West Texas Strong: A Trauma-Informed Care Consortium
To start the West Texas Trauma Informed Care Consortium, train Center staff in Capacitar, and initiative Mental Health Peer Support Specialist services in El Paso, TX.

Emergence Health Network/El Paso MHMR - $187,833.61
Mental Health Learning Library
To provide evidence-based and evidence informed trainings for and least 650 community members including educators, law enforcement officers, and other professionals. Programs contribute to reducing stigma and negative bias by educating on the myths and facts surrounding mental illness. Programs include Mental Health First Aid, Crisis Intervention Training, suicide prevention, self-harm, test anxiety, and grief stress management. Continuing educational credits (CEUs) will be pursued for evidence-informed trainings.

Families and Youth, Inc - $180,835.80
Local Collaborative 3
To support the Dona Ana Local Collaborative 3’s (LC3) efforts to improve collaboration among members, increase membership, and provide the data and the strategies to build a customer-driven, client centered behavioral health service and support system within Dona Ana County, New Mexico.

Family Service of El Paso, Inc. - $193,833.75 The People Empower El Paso (PEEP) Project To provide National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) evidence-based programs and to position NAMI – El Paso as a mental health leader in El Paso, TX.

Texas A&M University - $149,669.30 Colonias Project Cares To reduce stigma and negative bias surrounding mental illness and improve emotional well-being of individuals and families in outskirt communities of El Paso and Hudspeth Counties by conducting wellness checks, providing mental wellness and self-care workshops, and connecting those in need with local resources.

For more information, contact Sandra Day at 915-218-2617 or sday@pdnfoundation.org.