Shelter, Inc. is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a grant from Cook County Health’s Stronger Together: Building a More Equitable Behavioral Health System in Cook County Initiative.
Shelter, Inc. was awarded $273,146.87 to support the expansion of its clinical program into underserved communities in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago. “Shelter is grateful to receive the Behavioral Health Initiative funding,” says Shelter’s executive director Carina H. Santa Maria, “as it will allow us to expand our clinical services beyond the walls of our program to provide critical mental healthcare services through local schools to youth who have experienced trauma or are in crisis.”
Shelter’s clinical team will help address the dire need for youth mental health services that is much greater than current school staff can address.
The Stronger Together Initiative aims to address behavioral health inequities across the region’s system of care through increased systems alignment, enhanced system quality, and the expansion of access to early intervention and prevention, treatment, support, recovery, and crisis assessment and care.
Fifty-three organizations were selected, with applicants that serve communities that score the highest on the Social-Vulnerability Index receiving priority. This initiative, led by the Office of Behavioral Health at Cook County Health (CCH) is supported by funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury, under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocated to CCH by Cook County Government.
“This initiative highlights how government and other sectors of our community can work together to benefit the greater good,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “This is a historic opportunity to make meaningful change in Cook County for generations.”