Elevance Health Foundation Invests $5.8 Million to Strengthen Behavioral Health Access Nationwide

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Elevance Health Foundation has awarded nearly 40 new behavioral health grants totaling $5.8 million aimed at helping more people access mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services. The funding will expand community-based care, strengthen local support systems, and improve outcomes for individuals and families in under-resourced communities nationwide. This investment advances the Foundation’s five-year, $150 million commitment to addressing the physical, behavioral, and social factors that shape health.

The newly awarded grants will support a critical need, as data shows that nearly one in five U.S. adults – or 61.5 million people – experience mental illness each year, yet only about half received mental health treatment. Barriers such as cost, provider shortages, stigma, and limited access to care continue to prevent many individuals from receiving the support they need. Together, these grantees will implement innovative interventions designed to expand access to behavioral health services, improve outcomes for individuals at high social risk, and promote long-term health and well-being within the communities they serve.

“Behavioral health is fundamental to overall health, yet millions of Americans continue to face barriers to accessing timely, effective care,” said Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, Chief Health Officer at Elevance Health. “These grants support organizations that are developing innovative, community-centered approaches to behavioral health, helping individuals access the services and support they need to improve their health and quality of life. By investing in behavioral health, we are helping strengthen communities and advance whole-person health.”

Since 2021, the Foundation has invested significantly in initiatives that address behavioral health and other critical drivers of health, supporting community-based organizations that improve access to care and reduce health disparities. The 2021-2024 grant cycle yielded measurable results:

• Nearly 29% of eligible program participants have improved a SUD metric
• Nearly 29% of eligible program participants who needed alcohol and/or other substance dependence treatments received it
• Reached more than 1.7 million individuals through grant programs
• Awarded $33.7 million to nonprofit organizations

“Through our grant with Elevance Health Foundation, we were able to launch our Transformative and Evidence-based Approaches to Mental Health and Substance Use Screening (TEAMSS). This year-long project was designed to embed mental health and substance use screening strategies into pediatric practices nationwide. In the last year, we’ve been able to build on screening recommendations and make them more workable within the realities of clinical practice,” said Dr. Lee Beers, Chief Medical Officer at American Academy of Pediatrics, an organization the Foundation awarded funding to last year. “As we look forward, our new funding from the Foundation will enable us to further this work by engaging pediatric practices in a learning collaborative. This effort combines expert-led training with quality improvement strategies to enhance screening and care for youth ages 8–21. Participating clinicians will gain greater knowledge, skills, and confidence in screening for anxiety and substance use and delivering brief interventions to support early treatment and connection to care."

The following organizations will receive new grants to launch and expand behavioral health programs in communities across the country:

• 3RD Street Youth Center and Clinic
• Academy of Medical and Public Health Services
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Appleseed Community Mental Health Center Inc
• Breaking Ground
• California State University Stanislaus Foundation
• Children's Advocacy Center of SW Florida Inc
• Communities In Schools of Appalachian Highlands
• Connecticut Children's Foundation, Inc
• Covenant Community Inc
• Downtown Women's Center
• Drew Lewis Foundation Inc
• Family Ark Inc
• Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential Inc
• Give an Hour
• Grand Avenue Economic Community Development Corp.
• Help of Southern Nevada
• Jewish Community Services of South Florida Inc
• Jewish Family & Children Services of the Suncoast
• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation Inc
• Mental Health America
• Mental Health Association in Indiana Inc
• Midnight Mission
• Move United
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of New York City Inc (NAMI-NYC)
• Postpartum Support Virginia Inc
• Quest Counseling and Consulting, Inc
• Real Life
• Sacramento Loaves and Fishes
• Santa Maria Hostel Inc
• Village of Healing
• Virginia Telemental Health Initiative Inc
• Welcome House Inc
• Wellroot Family Services
• West Texas Counseling & Guidance
• Wisconsin Community Services Inc
• Women Moving On Inc

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 improve the health of the socially vulnerable through partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal-infant health; behavioral health; 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 X and Elevance Health Foundation on Facebook.