Progressive Pride flag outside the LGBT+ Center Orlando. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos)
ORLANDO | Florida Blue Foundation, the philanthropic foundation for the state’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, announced May 2 that it will be making a financial investment in support of mental health programs in Central Florida.
The $600,000 investment will be used to directly improve access to and the quality of mental well-being throughout the area.
“We know that in order to advocate for total well-being, we must focus on all components of health, including mental health. Florida Blue sees this investment as a necessity to helping people and communities achieve better health, especially where resources and innovative solutions are not always easily accessible,” said Tony Jenkins, Florida Blue’s Central Florida market president, in a press release. “Our support of these organizations will expand these essential services in our community.”
Central Florida Foundation and the Hope Partnership will share the investment, being provided $300,000 each, that will be used to enhance availability to mental health programs for the underserved and uninsured, including LGBTQ, minority and low-income populations. The LGBT+ Center Orlando will carry out the work under this grant for the Central Florida Foundation.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, among adults in the U.S. each year, mental illness effects 47.4% of the LGBTQ community and 20.8% of people experiencing homelessness have a serious mental health condition.
“The Florida Blue Foundation is focused on supporting organizations like the LGBT+ Center Orlando and Hope Partnership that are implementing innovative programs to support the mental well-being of our state’s underserved communities,” said Susan Towler, executive director of the Florida Blue Foundation, in the release. “We believe community-based solutions such as theirs can provide impactful support that can truly transform the lives of Central Floridians.”
Central Florida Foundation, as the fiscal agent for the LGBT+ Center Orlando under this grant, will offer an integrated approach to mental wellness through a collection of mental health programs serving more than 3,000 clients. Each program will be “focused on the mental health and security of the LGBTQ community and provides approaches catered to the unique needs of different groups. The Center Orlando looks to create a safe environment for the mental and emotional healing, peer support and access to services for the LGBTQ community and victims of hate crimes.”
Hope Partnership, a local nonprofit working to end homelessness and poverty in Central Florida, will provide improved access to mental health services in Osceola County by “offering a dedicated mental and behavioral health staff to provide individual and peer-supported group therapies to address anxiety, depression, social isolation, coping skills and trauma for community members living in hotels and motels, as well as those who are experiencing homelessness.”
Hope Partnership also intends to integrate the Circles USA curriculum into their programmatic options for those seeking assistance. Circles USA gathers middle-income and high-income volunteers to support families in poverty. Participants are surrounded by a support network that better equips them for long term stability.
Florida Blue Foundation has announced a total $3.8 million investment this year in 12 organizations addressing mental health needs across the state. Over the past five years, the foundation has invested more than $12.7 million in nonprofit organizations addressing mental health needs in Florida.
For more information on the foundation and its investments, please visit FloridaBlueFoundation.com. For information on programs and community work of the LGBT+ Center Orlando and Hope Partnership, visit TheCenterOrlando.org and TheHopePartnership.org.
