Oakland, CA and Renton, WA — Providence St. Joseph Health and Well Being Trust jointly announce the first round of $10 million in grants and contracts to mental health and wellness initiatives that will help vulnerable Californians.

Providence St. Joseph Health is a a faith-based not-for-profit parent organization to a diverse family of 50 hospitals, 829 clinics and hundreds of programs and services offered across the Western United States.

Well Being Trust is a new national foundation focused on innovation and improvement for mental health and wellness outcomes in the U.S.

Selected initiatives are far-reaching, supporting preschoolers to seniors, the homeless and those struggling with addiction.

When Providence Health & Services and St. Joseph Health came together last year, the new organization promised to transform the way care is delivered and address the greatest health needs in its communities – especially for the neediest patients facing the greatest risk.

For Providence St. Joseph Health, the grants help actualize the organization’s mission to serve the health care needs of its communities and a commitment made in 2016 to address California’s mental health needs.

Providence St. Joseph Health has committed $30 million in total to mental health and wellness across the state, with the initial $10 million signifying the first round of grants fulfilling the promise.

“As health care leaders, we must focus on the nation’s growing mental health crisis affecting our communities,” said Richard Afable, MD, CEO of St. Joseph Hoag Health, part of the Providence St. Joseph Health network. “This is the type of commitment we should all be making, and we are excited to work together to address one of the great challenges of our time.”

“Mental health needs in our communities must be addressed and the stigma of this illness removed – it’s not an issue that any one entity can tackle on its own,” said Erik G. Wexler, chief executive, Providence St. Joseph Health, Los Angeles Region. “Through these grants and by working with our many partners, we look forward to improving comprehensive mental health care for Southern California.”

PSJH’s partner in administering the grants is Well Being Trust, which was formed when the health system made a $100 million commitment to mental health across the entire service area.

Well Being Trust is dedicated to advancing mental, social and spiritual health in the nation and partners with other health systems and philanthropies to identify and implement strategies that address: critical mental health challenges; promote resilience in children; teens and families; and lead to human and community well-being.

“Nearly one in six Californians live with mental health challenges, and we know that roughly half of adults and two-thirds of children are not receiving the care they need. That burdens families across the community and the state,” said Tyler Norris, MDiv, chief executive, Well Being Trust.

“Significant gaps remain and, through these early grants, we are working with our partners to bridge these gaps to provide for California’s most vulnerable populations facing mental health, substance use and related challenges,” Norris said.

In selecting the California slate of grants, Well Being Trust worked with Providence St. Joseph Health and community partners to identify the most significant areas of need and the programs that would have the greatest impact.

The first round of grants is, in part, focused on new and existing Providence St. Joseph Health programs that are working in communities across the state to address health and wellness challenges such as mental health, addiction and homelessness.

Initiatives in Southern California include:

· School-Based Adolescent Mental Health System – This initiative will equip teachers, parents and high school students within the Anaheim Union High School District in Orange County with the tools to address mental health issues, including the train-the-trainer and peer-to-peer models. The program is administered by the Promotion, Prevention and Intervention Mental Health Network at St. Joseph Hoag Health.

· Whole Person Care Model-Mental Health and Primary Care Integration – This extensive integrated mental health and primary care model in Orange County is administered by St. Joseph Hoag Health and specifically addresses issues facing new mothers, seniors, high-risk medical patients and caregivers.

· Outpatient Crisis Stabilization – This Los Angeles County-focused initiative will support the start-up phase of the Providence Outpatient Center for Crisis Stabilization at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro. Crisis stabilization is an outpatient service designed to address immediate psychiatric emergencies, many of which can be resolved in less than 24 hours.

· Perinatal to 5 Mental Health Services – The grant will provide for in-home therapists assigned to women/families at risk during a pregnancy; hire a specialist to engage families and community partners; and support mental health consultants at early childhood education sites to assist at-risk children in mental and physical health, sensory/motor concerns, and nutrition. The program is administered by Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.

· Safety Net Integration Program – Strengthening the support system for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations in the San Fernando Valley, this initiative increases vulnerable populations’ access to health and wellness services at Providence Holy Cross, Mission Hills. Patient navigators will assess patients; tele-psychiatry services will be implemented; and a program manager will coordinate monthly case conference meetings with members of the care team.

· Mental Health Community Partnership – The Community Mental Health Partnership initiative addresses homelessness and substance abuse by contracting with community agencies to expand services led by Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. A mental health specialist will conduct initial mental health and social care intervention for emergency department patients and those inpatients recommended by clinical social workers and physicians. In addition, the grant will help provide shelter to homeless patients.

· Mental Health Navigation – Licensed clinical social workers at Providence Saint John’s Health Center will provide a coordinated, culturally and linguistically appropriate case management approach for Medi-Cal and Medicare patients who need to connect with mental health providers in the community.

· Implementing Collaborative Care for Mental Health – This grant will pilot an integrated care model for mental health in the primary care setting. The program is administered by the Santa Monica Family Physicians at Providence St. Joseph Health.

In all, 13 partners will receive funds for a range of initiatives addressing vulnerable populations’ mental health, addiction, homelessness and wellness needs.

About Providence St. Joseph Health
Providence St. Joseph Health is committed to improving the health of the communities it serves, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. With 50 hospitals, 829 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing and many other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ more than 111,000 caregivers (employees) serving communities across seven states – Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Formed in 2016, the Providence St. Joseph Health family includes the founding organizations, and in: Texas, Covenant Health and Covenant Medical Group; California, Facey Medical Group, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare; Washington, Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Pacific Medical Centers and Swedish Health Services.

About Well Being Trust
Founded in late 2016 with a $100 million endowment from Providence St. Joseph Health, Well Being Trust is a national foundation dedicated to advancing mental, social and spiritual health. Created to include participation from organizations across sectors and perspectives, Well Being Trust is committed to innovating and addressing the most critical mental health challenges facing America, and transforming individual and community wellness. Visit www.wellbeingtrust.org.