Grant Partners

Caring Health Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will provide culturally competent insurance enrollment assistance and education to patients, including insurance eligibility, applications, enrollment, policies, subsidies and tax credits, plan selection, and assistance in maintaining coverage. Caring Health Center will increase health insurance literacy through culturally and linguistically appropriate education and community outreach, including to programs serving jobseekers, unemployed persons, students, and community members who need support outside of the health center. It will also implement extensive media and grassroots community outreach campaigns. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients, patients, and staff.

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.

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.

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

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.

Mass Senior Action Council (MSAC) will collaborate with MLRI and HCFA to educate members about COVID-related changes within MassHealth to identify areas for long term change and identify opportunities to shape evolving telehealth policy. In addition, MSAC will advocate for further expansion of the Medicare Savings Programs and improve prescription drug cost affordability through legislative and administrative actions.

Lowell Community Health Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will strengthen services to engage and enroll clients in health insurance and educate staff and community-based agencies about the health care system to increase understanding and trust, especially among refugee and immigrant populations. It will increase efficiencies to improve patient access to health insurance benefits services and it will increase its capacity to formalize tracking systems for its patients to address churn. Lowell Community Health Center will increase timely, culturally and linguistically appropriate guidance to assist clients in making informed decisions and maintaining health insurance. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients, patients, and staff.

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.

To purchase personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, health screeners, and supporting education administration.

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.

To fund business planning focused on preparing preserved and value-added products from local produce to support its participant health beyond the growing season.

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

To provide supplies for households with young children that are home all day, including diapers, wipes, books, and educational toys and activities due to the closure of early education programs as a result of COVID-19.

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