Grant Partners

HSL has developed a depression services program, Making Real Progress in Emotional Health, to integrate behavioral health treatment with primary care and other health services to reduce the severity of depressive symptoms in seniors, and to improve overall health.  The Foundation's grant will enable HSL to expand services to patients receiving in-home care.  In 2015, HSL acquired Jewish Family and Children’s Services, which expanded HSL’s home care services by an additional 1,000 seniors (now totaling 2,000 older adults).  In contrast to seniors in supportive housing who tend to be part of a community, seniors in home care are more likely to suffer from isolation, pain, and increased debility post-hospitalization.  These stressors also increase these seniors’ susceptibility to depression.  HSL will take the lead in developing and monitoring individual care plans; tracking health outcomes in collaboration with primary care physicians from the practices treating the majority of patients; and developing additional community partnerships to ensure more comprehensive collaborative care for their patients.

 To hire a consultant for strategic planning and evaluation purposes.

 To purchase and implement a computer-based documentation system, SNAP.

Harbor Health Services will participate in off-site joint outreach sessions at social service agencies, supermarket chains, ethnic markets, Councils on Aging, Veterans Agencies, sites serving behavioral health and developmental delayed persons, subsidized housing, state employment and job training sites, schools, food pantries, WIC program sites, health fairs, and via social media. It will create a health insurance literacy community assessment, and develop user-friendly materials that educate clients on how to use health insurance benefits. Finally, it will dedicate a phone number and webpage for residents to reach staff for enrollment assistance, and execute a social media campaign.

Family Health Center of Worcester (FHCW) will partner with community organizations to receive referrals for individuals needing enrollment assistance. They will provide one-on-one sessions and events about minimizing the risk of losing coverage, review all eligibility determination letters, utilize its EMR to record pending expiration dates, and use automated call center software to reach uninsured patients in multiple languages. The organization will conduct quarterly “health insurance 101” trainings, provide regular patient orientation sessions, and make health insurance literacy information and resources available through patient computer kiosks.

To hire a consultant.

To purchase an autoclave sterilizer. 

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center will target uninsured patients prior to their next scheduled appointment and provide enrollment assistance.  To address churn, it will utilize its electronic medical record to identify individuals whose coverage is about to lapse, and refer them to follow-up assistance. It will develop a health insurance education module that includes low-literacy multilingual materials and a workshop curriculum that helps patients navigate the system.  Ten health insurance literacy information sessions will be held each year. 

To complete the coding component of the directory search function of the endwithcare.org website.

To support an awareness campaign for statewide pediatricians on the availability of the Parental Stress Line.

Community Health Programs (CHP) will target outreach in nearby towns with over 100 uninsured residents, and attend community events to connect with the underserved, using its mobile van to reach those in geographically isolated locations. It will reduce churn by proactively communicating via phone and email that insurance is about to lapse, and provide instructions for seeking assistance. CHP will also create a Facebook page to explain common insurance terms, and post and translate sample letters from MassHealth.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Massachusetts (NAMI Mass) will strive for access to services for all who need them and end the stigma around mental illness.  Their strategies include educating families and individuals to understand their illnesses and advocating for needed services. NAMI will strengthen their policy focus on the following issues: a lack of uniform access to health-related benefits; lack of recognition of cost-effective treatment modalities by MassHealth; and inequitable treatment of disability coverage for mental illness.

To hire a grantwriter consultant.

To purchase a laptop computer and cart accessories for physician use. 

To purchase and implement a photo ID system for volunteers.