Local programs to help middle and high school students with mental health issues, older people facing social isolation, and families hit hard by grief have been awarded $1.3 million in community health grants from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth.
This is the first round of $3.6 million in state-mandated community health grants BID-Plymouth will award to nonprofit and public agencies serving Plymouth, Kingston, Carver and Duxbury.
“This funding will provide critical resources to further develop and implement programs and services that support the health and well-being of our local residents,” Kevin Coughlin, president of BID-Plymouth, said in a written statement. “We are proud to support these organizations and municipalities that are doing important work for our communities.”
When hospitals in Massachusetts propose major investments, in either new buildings or medical equipment like an MRI machine, they must apply for a “determination of need” from the state Department of Public Health. If a project is approved, the state requires money to be set aside for grants to organizations that support specific goals identified in the applicant’s “Community Health Needs Assessment.”
In Plymouth, the hospital’s ongoing $116 million expansion of its emergency department, surgery and cancer care programs, came with the requirement to provide the community health grants. BID-Plymouth empanels a 20-member Community Benefit Advisory Committee to participate in the health assessment and to recommend how community health grant money should be allocated.
According to a press release from BID-Plymouth, the first round of grants, which will be paid over three years, are:
- The Plymouth Public Schools received $435,000 to support its Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) program. According to the school system website, the program provides clinical, academic, and family support for students with mental health challenges to help them stay on track toward graduation.
- Child and Family Services, a regional nonprofit, received $436,000 to launch “Empower 60+: Wellness and Social Health”, a program for adults 60 and older in Plymouth, Kingston, Carver, and Duxbury. The goal is to reduce barriers to mental health care, combat social isolation, and improve access to essential resources like housing, food, and transportation.
- Hope Floats Health and Wellness Center of Kingston received $300,000 to expand grief support programs for older adults and intergenerational families in Plymouth, Kingston, Carver, and Duxbury through its new Healing Hearts program and enhanced Mike’s Club offerings.
- The Town of Duxbury was awarded $136,000 to help fund the Emerging Community Mental and Behavioral Health pilot program launched through the Council on Aging. Its mission is to create an inclusive, coordinated, and sustainable referral network that ensures access to mental and behavioral health services for all residents.
BID-Plymouth is now taking applications for the next round of grants, $1.6 million, which it plans to award in June. More information is available here.
Michael Cohen can be reached at michael@plymouthindependent.org