Roundup: Foundations’ Efforts in Mental Health Care
July 23rd, 2010
by
Lee-Lee Prina
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Stateline.org, the Pew Charitable Trusts’ online news site on state policy and politics, reported on July 19, 2010, that ”as states face their biggest fiscal challenge in modern history,” state funding of mental health is declining—for the first time in more than thirty years. Meanwhile, what have foundations been doing lately in mental health?
Recent report:
Justice for Immigration’s Hidden Population: Protecting the Rights of Persons with Mental Disabilities in the Immigration Court and Detention System, Texas Appleseed, released March 30, 2010. The report was funded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health; Texas Appleseed’s pro bono partner in preparing this report was the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP. Texas Appleseed’s and Akin Gump’s “year-long investigation revealed that immigrants with mental disabilities fare poorly in all facets of the U.S. immigration system, from apprehension to detention, from adjudication to release.” Among this report’s policy recommendations for improving mental health diagnosis and treatment in the civil immigration detention system are (1) “Immigrants with mental disabilities should be detained only when required by law, for national security concerns, or for risks to health and safety” and (2) Detained immigrants with such disabilities should be put “in settings appropriate to their needs.”
The Web site of Texas Appleseed, a group that promotes justice for all Texans, notes, “A quarter of all immigrants apprehended each year in the U.S. are sent to detention facilities in Texas, however the problems documented in the report are not unique to Texas.”
Poll results:
“What Kentuckians Think about Treatment vs. Prison for People with Severe Mental Illnesses,” 2009 Kentucky Health Issues Poll, released March 2010. The poll was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. According to the poll, “Assuming that both treatment and incarceration cost the same, 72% of Kentuckians favor replacing prison sentences with mandatory mental illness treatment programs for people with severe mental illnesses who are convicted of nonviolent crimes.” Of course, the summary acknowledges, the cost of treatment versus that of incarceration varies “dramatically” depending on services are provided.
Recent Health Affairs GrantWatch article on mental health:
“Addressing Homelessness among People with Mental Illnesses: A Model of Long-Term Philanthropic Effectiveness,” Ruth Tebbets Brousseau, independent consultant, Health Affairs GrantWatch section, May/June 2009. The article, funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, is a follow-up to an assessment by Brousseau. The article focuses on the Corporation for Supportive Housing’s (CSH’s) work. The Hilton Foundation has been a long-time funder of the CSH, which also has received grants from a number of other foundations over the years.
Spotlight on three funders of mental health projects:
The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, Austin, Texas. Please note that this foundation funds only in Texas.
The Ittleson Foundation, located in New York City, funds mental health projects. However, the funder has a staff of one and a “limited budget,” so read the Application Guidelines and Restrictions carefully to avoid wasting your time. Also, before contacting the foundation, see examples of past grants awarded in the mental health area. The foundation’s Web site says that “grants will only be made at the Fall [board] meeting” and that “initial letters of inquiry must be received before September 1, 2010.”
REACH Healthcare Foundation, located in Merriam, Kansas; mental health is one of this funder’s priorities. The foundation funds in Allen, Johnson, and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas; Cass, Lafayette, and Jackson Counties in Missouri; and in Kansas City, Missouri. Read general information about the foundation here. The foundation’s public policy and advocacy work is discussed here. Please note the foundation’s upcoming “Focused Grant Cycle.” This new grant application process will begin in August 2010.
Funding awarded recently:
“Hogg Foundation Fellowship Program Creates Mental Health Policy Advocates,” Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, press release, July 21, 2010. The foundation awarded a grant to each of five nonprofit advocacy groups “to hire an in-house fellow” who will work on “specific projects to improve mental health policy in Texas,” the release said. Each grant also covers provision of an experienced mentor for the fellow. Among the grantees is Mental Health America of Greater Houston.
Rethinking Mental Health: Improving Community Wellbeing. This was “a competition for new ideas and practices that challenge the status quo in terms of how we think about and address mental health care needs,” according to an e-alert. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) sponsored the competition and worked in partnership with Ashoka’s Changemakers. The three winners of this competition were announced in late 2009.
Survey report:
Adults: Mental Health Issues and Disparities in Arizona, Flavio F. Marsiglia, Wendy L. Wolfersteig, Stephanie Ayers, Jaime Booth, and Alex Wagman of Arizona State University’s Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, April 2010. Funded by St. Luke’s Health Initiatives (SLHI), a foundation in Phoenix. This report is based on data from the 2008 Arizona Health Survey, which was conducted by telephone and funded by SLHI, the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, the Valley of the Sun United Way, and the Arizona Community Foundation. The 2010 Arizona Health Survey is being fielded in the summer of 2010. Watch for results to start coming out later in 2010. (See the Stateline.org article mentioned below for recent information on Arizona and mental health services.)
Recent Health Affairs GrantWatch article on mental health:
“What Do We Really Know about Foundations’ Funding of Mental Health?” Ruth Tebbets Brousseau, independent consultant, and Andrew D. Hyman, RWJF, Health Affairs GrantWatch section, July/August 2009. Brousseau’s work was funded under a contract from the RWJF. Readers: Do the trends reported by these authors still hold true? Do you believe that foundations are funding enough mental health programs? If not, where should additional foundation funds be targeted? We encourage you to respond by clicking on the comment button next to this blog post.
Related resources:
“As Economy Takes Toll, Mental Health Budgets Shrink,” Christine Vestal, Stateline.org of the Pew Charitable Trusts, July 19, 2010. The article gives “some examples of states that have made big cuts” to mental health budgets: Arizona, Illinois, and Mississippi.
“Of Medical Specialties, Demand for Psychiatrists Growing Fastest,” Stephanie Steinberg, USA Today, July 1, 2010.
“Press Charges or Press for Change? The Criminalization of Mental Illness,” Michael J. Fitzpatrick, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Blog, July 14, 2010. Fitzpatrick is executive director of NAMI, a grassroots advocacy group.
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