Grant Partners

Community Healthlink will continue the integration of its substance use disorder program with its mental health services. The program will: implement its medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program for both long and short term use; provide case management and follow-up services with clients who come to Behavioral Health and Addiction Urgent Care for either mental health or substance use disorder treatment; and continue to strengthen its collaboration with local police departments and health and human services providers.

Funding for kits to connect individuals released from incarceration with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s healing reentry programs. The kits will contain program information, COVID-19 protective equipment, food gift cards, and clothing vouchers.

This grant was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dimock Center will continue to support its community by assisting with health insurance enrollment and renewals, especially focusing on people who may have never enrolled in coverage or who experienced gaps and lapses in coverage due to trauma, homelessness, and substance use disorder. During the grant year, it will create new health insurance literacy materials in languages other than English and will work to ensure that eligible clients and patients are referred to its resource specialists for enrollment support for SNAP.

La Colaborativa will expand the Chelsea Desea Sonar program to older teens who experience mental health triggers from the pandemic. Chelsea Desea Sonar (Chelsea Wants to Dream) is a mental health support program designed for newly arrived, unaccompanied, immigrant, and refugee children ages 9-13, teens, and their families and caregivers.  This project will address the cultural and societal barriers to mental health for youth of color and provide alternative mental wellness regarding the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MABVI will pilot a partnership with The Dimock Center and New England College of Optometry (NECO) to increase access to low vision examinations and support services for patients with experiencing vision impairment who have low-income and are Black, Indigenous, and other people of color . The project will increase patient engagement with exams and comprehensive services resulting in patients being able to better manage activities of daily living and more fully adjust to living with vision loss.

Funding to translate the Club’s new website and outreach brochure into the four languages of the largest immigrant communities in Worcester: Spanish, Vietnamese, Akan, and French.

Funding to update its website and technology to better serve an increased number of clients seeking affordable housing as a result of the pandemic and to hire a public relations firm to announce new CEO and help the organization to identify buildable land and homes to rehabilitate.

This grant was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding to start a transportation service for 5-10 individuals in recovery to increase access to referrals to treatment centers in Worcester, Brockton, and Falmouth, using Uber and other ride services.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) provides culturally and linguistically appropriate health insurance enrollment assistance for patients and anyone in the region in need of assistance. EBNHC provides information to ensure that clients understand how to keep and navigate health insurance. To further its capacity, EBNHC has cross trained its call center staff to assist with more common health insurance enrollment needs. It regularly refers clients who are eligible and interested in applying for SNAP benefits to its care coordination team for assistance.

The Joint Committee for Children’s Health Care in Everett (JCCHCE) seeks to support new moms beyond the health insurance enrollment to ensure that they receive the help they need to navigate the complexities of parenthood. The pilot will support expectant/new moms, within each of the JCCHCE language groups--Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and English. Each mom will be assigned to a staff member who will work to determine their needs to support a healthy environment for mom and young child.

Funding to hire a consultant to develop a dedicated Spanish Language eLearning Center to ensure Spanish speaking residents can access its stress management and mental health supports during and after the pandemic.

This grant was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pioneer Valley Workers Center builds collective power its constituents through grassroots organizing. Pioneer Valley Workers Center will enhance its capacity to lead campaigns for racial justice and worker access to good health and health care. It will also purchase (in combination with other funds) training on supervision and mentorship, meeting facilitation, new workplan system. It will strengthen three-year organizational plan for campaigns and membership development and will train and improve bilingual systems of financial oversight for Board and staff.

Funding to hire a consultant to develop a strategic plan to grow and to increase the organization’s impact in Nashua Valley and Lowell, meeting increased demand due to the pandemic.

This grant was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) represents individual clients and works in coalition with other organizations that have consumers as their members.  Through these relationships, MLRI enriches its understanding of systemic issues and enlists additional individuals and organizations to advocate for access to quality health care, immigrant health care rights, and issues of importance to individuals with disabilities.  MLRI will assure that unwinding the COVID-19 protection in 2022 does not result in eligible individuals losing benefits. It will also advocate for MassHealth to retain flexibilities in place during COVID-19 after the Public Health Emergency ends. At the same time, MLRI will be advocating for expanded eligibility for criminal-justice-involved individuals before release, and other expansions of current coverage. Additionally, MLRI will address barriers to coverage and care for the remaining uninsured and will work on expanding coverage options for non-citizens, including undocumented children and pregnant women.

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) is committed to supporting patients with enrollment and retention of the full health benefits for which they are eligible. Its team educates patients on how to use health coverage, understand covered services, retain benefits, and remain engaged in preventive care, reducing dependence on emergency room visits. BHCHP will ensure that patients across its 40+ clinics and on the street have access to this support. During the grant year, it will expand its health insurance outreach and enrollment activities to new locations, including at Horizons for Homeless Children, Women’s Lunch Place, and through increased outreach services, focusing on a sharply growing number of people living on the street. BHCHP will focus on addressing the churn experienced by people who are incarcerated and will advocate for expanded coverage for this population and others with access needs. It will also prioritize patient access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), along with other health related social needs.