Supporting Behavioral Health Equity

Partnership with The Jed Foundation

As part of our behavioral health efforts, Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation awarded $1.1 million to The Jed Foundation (JED) to protect the mental health of New York State’s youth.

Through the funding, JED will expand its current services, providing at least five youth-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) with consultation or strategic planning services, including expert guidance, educational workshops, and training programs, equipping young people with life skills and connecting them to mental healthcare when they are in distress.

Behavioral Health Grant Program

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness and one in six U.S. children ages 6 to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year.  In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notes that approximately 20.2 million adults age 18 or older had a substance use disorder in 2020. Meanwhile, access to behavioral health services is often not equitable across populations. The World Health Organization says people exposed to adverse circumstances including poverty, violence, disability and inequality are at higher risk of developing a mental health condition, underscoring the significant impact of mental illness and substance use disorder on individuals and society.

Fidelis Care awarded $149,000 in behavioral health grants to nine healthcare providers and community organizations across New York State. The grants are intended to enhance the integration of behavioral health and primary care through innovative strategies. These efforts aim to bridge care gaps for vulnerable populations by promoting comprehensive support.

Just Kids Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Just Kids Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Middle Island, New York, provides comprehensive healthcare for families. Just Kids plans to use the Fidelis Care grant to integrate mental health and behavioral health services and collaborative care into its new primary care center. By integrating mental health and behavioral health services into the facility, Just Kids aims to reduce stigma, improve access to care, and provide timely interventions that can lead to better overall health outcomes.

Pediatric Wellness of Northern New York

Pediatric Wellness of Northern New York serves the medical, behavioral, and educational success needs of children and young adults up to age 21 in the North Country. The organization plans to use the Fidelis Care Grant to fund a program that provides more timely diagnosis and care for children with behavioral challenges as well as behavioral therapy and parental guidance in addressing issues at home to help navigate and advocate for their children’s needs in school.

Seleni House Foundation

The Seleni Institute is a New York City–based nonprofit dedicated to improving mental health care for women and families at every stage of life, from fertility and pregnancy to parenting and beyond. With support from the Fidelis Care Behavioral Health Grant Program, Seleni will award 100 fully funded scholarships to primary care providers across New York State. These providers will be trained to recognize perinatal mental health conditions, communicate effectively with patients and families, and deliver equitable, unbiased care, ultimately strengthening support during the newborn and postpartum periods and improving outcomes for both parents and children.

University of Rochester

The University of Rochester Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital Connecting for Kids (C4K) program’s mission is to enhance interprofessional collaboration between critical systems of care to better address the physical health, behavioral health, and academic needs of children and teens. The Fidelis Care grant supports the C4K Collaborative Dialogue, a community-developed initiative aimed at fostering effective collaboration across school teams, primary care practices, and parents/caregivers to support child and adolescent behavioral health needs.

Westchester Jewish Community Services

Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) is a comprehensive human services organization that helps people of all ages and backgrounds overcome emotional, social, educational, vocational, disability, and spiritual challenges. The Fidelis Care Grant enables WJCS to obtain primary care physician (PCP) referrals for clients in its Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, Peekskill, and Hartsdale. Currently, only about half of WJCS clients have a PCP on record and those without one very rarely receive a referral to meet with a PCP.