Ford Foundation President Darren Walker and NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray at the Connections to Care launch event.
STRIVE New York is proud to be among 14 New York City nonprofits selected to participate in Connections to Care, a $30 million public-private partnership that aims to expand access to mental health services by integrating evidence-based mental health support into social services programs serving low-income New Yorkers.
Connections to Care is a program of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the federal Social Innovation Fund of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Participating organizations will partner with local mental health providers to train their staff in offering mental health support to clients. STRIVE New York is partnering withUnion Settlement and the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.
NYC First Lady and Mayor’s Fund Board Chair Chirlane McCray announced the grantees at an event on March 11. “Mental health challenges touch every family, in every neighborhood, in every borough,” she said. “The good news is that mental health problems are treatable. But far too many people are unable to access the services that would help them get well. That’s why, in New York City, we are taking an innovative approach to expand access to mental health care. By partnering with community leaders and community organizations, we will be able to provide services where people already are – where they live, work, worship and study, and get those services from people they already trust.”
The Mayor’s Fund also announced that the Ford Foundation has awarded a $2 million, three-year grant to the Connections to Care initiative to support an evaluation of the program by the RAND Corporation with the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research. Ford Foundation President Darren Walker spoke at the event, as did Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Richard Buery and Matthew Klein, Executive Director of the Center for Economic Opportunity.
Learn more about Connections to Care in the city’s press release.
To learn more about STRIVE, visit http://striveinternational.org/