Grant Partners

GreenRoots bridges the intersection of environmental justice and public health by engaging the most impacted residents in the highly industrial neighborhoods of Chelsea and East Boston, while uplifting their voices and empowering them through innovative campaigns to improve the collective health in its communities. GreenRoots will address health disparities by focusing on food justice, improving indoor and outdoor air quality, and chronic diseases. It will continue to utilize various advocacy tactics on improving the air quality to address health impacts and other health equity policies– including grassroots organizing, data collection, working with policymakers and collaborating with other organizations to move these issues forward.  

This grant funded the development of a survey tool intended to longitudinally track the capacity of the outpatient behavioral health clinical workforce.

Health Care for All (HCFA) advocates for consumers on health care access, quality, and cost. HCFA's goals, strategies, and tactics are shaped by thousands of consumer experiences captured by the HelpLine, outreach, and ongoing organizing efforts. HCFA will focus on three key areas: affordability, health equity, and integration. HCFA's affordability agenda includes a three-pronged approach – addressing pharmaceutical costs, hospital costs, and insurer costs.  Related to health equity, HCFA will advocate to require MassHealth to extend coverage to 12 months postpartum, ensuring continuous coverage during a critical time, and advocate to improve equitable access to health coverage for children with disabilities by expanding CommonHealth coverage to all qualifying children and young adults with disabilities, regardless of their immigration status. Additionally, HCFA will work to better integrate care so that health-related social needs, primary care, behavioral health, oral health, pediatric care, and other services are provided and addressed in a more coordinated and efficient system for consumers. 

THRIVE will develop a pilot to provide high-quality ongoing mental health service to THRIVE community members to address underlying trauma or long-term impacts of incarceration. THRIVE will partner with Lowell House to support individuals while still incarcerated and serve as a consistent point of contact when their detention is over to navigate community resources and services and help coordinate mental health care services.

Brien Center will increase community-based locations with behavioral health urgent care (BHUC) and expand their operating hours, including 24/7/365 staff for BHUC. Brien Center’s BHUC program will also serve as a bridge between an individual’s emergency services assessment and the connection to outpatient services. The Center will increase its focus on working with all local police departments, the Massachusetts State Police, and other sources to encourage appropriate direct referral and transport to community-based behavioral health urgent care rather than the Emergency Department.

Funding for training sessions to support home hospice nurses manage pandemic-related stress, which has resulted in compassion fatigue and burn out. The session will help nurses continue to be strong caregivers.

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

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (GNBHC) assists people with insurance applications and renewals and provides education on how to use and keep coverage. GNBHC works to bridge the gaps between enrollment and maintenance of health insurance coverage year-round. GNBHC also outreaches to community-based organizations to reach immigrants, people experiencing unemployment, and young people. The health center also provides referrals for clients who require assistance in applying for SNAP and it is exploring opportunities to provide the assistance in-house.

Martha’s Vineyard Community Services will help meet a dramatic increase in client requests for emergency assistance for basic needs, such as rent, diapers, supplies, and other health-related social needs.

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

To provide food delivery for home-bound individuals during the Massachusetts COVID-19 "stay at home" advisory.

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

Volunteers In Medicine Berkshires will assist the BCBSMA Foundation staff in conducting a focus group to understand the needs, concerns, and challenges facing organizations of color and organizations working in communities of color.  The focus group will also help the Foundation identify potential solutions to change the systems, policies, and structures that perpetuate racial inequities in health in Massachusetts.

To provide supplies and coping resources for students engaged in mental health programs due to loss, stress, and anxiety related to the pandemic and racial climate.

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

William James College will pilot the Behavioral Health Service Corps (BHSC) program that will engage 20-25 recent college graduates who wish to spend a year learning about and working in behavioral health organizations. BHSC scholars will become employees of behavioral health host organization in inpatient units, home-based services, residential treatment, and recovery centers, among others. A key focus of this project is to both diversify and grow the behavioral health workforce. 

To obtain the services of the Institute for Community Health to develop and implement an organization-wide evaluation matrix.

The Rian Immigrant Center’s Wellness Program will expand its services to include a Spanish speaking case manager to increase its capacity to serve more Spanish speakers who need mental health supports. The case manager will also provide crisis intervention.

This grant was made in response to COVID-19 pandemic

La Alianza Hispana will support telehealth services for seniors through the Aliancianos Senior Center. It will also provide tiered telehealth services for families with children age 0-5 through their Madres y Niños program.

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