Grant Partners

To purchase Bloomerang Donor Management and fundraising software.

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.

To hire a grantwriting consultant.

The Community Builders (TCB), in partnership with the Family Health Center of Worcester, Worcester Addresses Childhood Trauma (Worcester ACT), Clark University, and Boston College, is working to understand and document the connections between trauma and housing instability.  The partner organizations are integrating trauma-informed services, supports and property management protocols to assist residents in maintaining housing stability. Trauma-informed care-trained Community Life staff and resident Health Champions support residents by providing resources and education through group information sessions and other community-based activities. They also provide referrals to needed services, including emergency and ongoing support with Worcester ACT, trauma treatment through Family Health Center of Worcester and other appropriate mental health providers, and eviction prevention services. To support these activities, TCB is increasing its capacity by developing leadership opportunities for residents and the infrastructure necessary for this cross-sectoral partnership to be sustained.

Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), which serves several communities with high rates of uninsured residents, will work to reduce barriers to obtaining insurance enrollment assistance by co-locating enrollment services where individuals live, or where they receive other services. CEOC will focus on locations where individuals who are more likely to be uninsured may frequent, such as food pantries, homeless shelters, single-room occupancy residences, English as a Second Language programs, cultural organizations, and job and career service programs. It will also bundle insurance enrollment assistance with its other programs, including the food pantry, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment, free tax preparation, as well as housing stabilization services. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients and staff.

Massachusetts League of Community Health Center's (MLCHC) key focus will be continued advocacy for primary care to ensure community health centers are prepared and central to the MassHealth Waiver discussion and explore ways to enhance the protection and authority of primary care providers across model types. MLCHC will continue its effort to build a case for the need for a Compliant Federally Qualified Health Center Payment; health centers, with their extensive federal requirements and expectations, rely on strong federal payment protections that outline a bundled payment methodology for all visit types. MLCHC will continue to build on its longstanding success in workforce programming by pursuing a legislative workforce agenda, including Nurse Practitioner Residency legislation; Loan Repayment legislation; and Medicaid Graduate Medical Education restoration with an emphasis on community-based primary care training and psychiatry. 

Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, which serves a community with one of the state’s highest number of uninsured residents, will partner with local organizations to expand its reach to specific populations, including immigrants, recently or chronically unemployed, residents recovering from substance use disorder, probationers and parolees. It will position its certified application counselor in the community five days a week and work with consumers post-enrollment to ensure that they maintain coverage and have access to care.

Health Law Advocates (HLA) will work to advocate for public policy reforms that help consumers access necessary health care. Key focus areas in the coming year include: continuing to lead the effort to improve access to mental health services for children through the continued expansion of the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids, which provides free legal assistance to help low-income, high-risk youth to overcome barriers to mental health services; closing the gap in coverage for in-home health services, such as skilled nursing and non-emergency transportation that harms many immigrants enrolled in MassHealth Family Assistance; and building on the progress made reducing MassHealth’s longstanding difficulty assigning immigrants to the maximum benefits for which they are eligible.  Additionally, HLA will continue to improve access to gender-affirming health care for low-income transgender consumers.

To purchase a new terminal server with significant storage space.

To support a Prevention and Wellness project including purchasing medical equipment, hosting community meetings, producing marketing materials and technology enhancements.

To convene a symposium on Long Term Support Services including recording a video, the compilation, printing, and distribution of a final report to disseminate across Massachusetts.

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will provide screening, education, enrollment, and post-enrollment services for patients and community residents, including information on how to maintain insurance coverage. It will also attend community events and partner with the Immigrant Assistance Center to inform individuals about the insurance application process and to answer questions about public charge. 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.

The Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) will advocate for continued telehealth services for addiction and recovery and advocate for policy flexibilities that should be made permanent when we transition out of the COVID-19 moratorium period, such as allowing methadone patients to take the medication at home for 14 to 28 days. A key focus will be on advocating against all cuts to publicly funded addiction services in collaboration with Massachusetts Coalition for Addiction Services and ensuring that the proposed Recovery Coach Credentialing board has more recovery coach representation. In addition, MOAR will implement its new action plan focused on ending racial discrimination in the organization and with its external partners.

To hire a consultant to help the organization obtain licensure with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to become a Behavioral Health Clinic.

To hire consultants to write content, create design, and reprogram their existing website to facilitate the organization’s new Donor Recruitment and Retention Strategy.