Elevance Health Foundation announced nearly 40 new behavioral health grants totaling $5.8 million. The grants are designed to help more people access mental health and substance use disorder services across the United States.
The funding will support community-based care, strengthen local support systems, and improve outcomes for individuals and families in under-resourced communities.
The investment advances the Foundation’s five-year, $150 million commitment to addressing the physical, behavioral, and social factors that shape health.
Elevance Health Foundation said the grants respond to a critical national need. Nearly one in five U.S. adults, or 61.5 million people, experience mental illness each year, but only about half receive mental health treatment.
Barriers such as cost, provider shortages, stigma, and limited care access continue to prevent many people from receiving behavioral health support.
The newly funded organizations will implement interventions designed to expand access to behavioral health services, improve outcomes for people at high social risk, and support long-term health and well-being in the communities they serve.
Since 2021, the Foundation has invested in initiatives addressing behavioral health and other drivers of health through community-based organizations.
During the 2021-2024 grant cycle, nearly 29% of eligible program participants improved a substance use disorder metric. Nearly 29% of eligible participants who needed alcohol or other substance dependence treatment received it.
The Foundation’s grant programs also reached more than 1.7 million individuals and awarded $33.7 million to nonprofit organizations during that cycle.
Organizations receiving new grants include American Academy of Pediatrics, Mental Health America, NAMI-NYC, Give an Hour, Move United, Downtown Women’s Center, Breaking Ground, Sacramento Loaves and Fishes, West Texas Counseling & Guidance, Wisconsin Community Services, and several other community-focused nonprofits.
Elevance Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health. The Foundation focuses on improving the health of socially vulnerable populations through community partnerships and programs, with emphasis areas including maternal-infant health, behavioral health, and food as medicine.
KEY QUOTES:
“Behavioral health is fundamental to overall health, yet millions of Americans continue to face barriers to accessing timely, effective care. These grants support organizations that are developing innovative, community-centered approaches to behavioral health, helping individuals access the services and support they need to improve their health and quality of life. By investing in behavioral health, we are helping strengthen communities and advance whole-person health.”
Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, Chief Health Officer at Elevance Health
“Through our grant with Elevance Health Foundation, we were able to launch our Transformative and Evidence-based Approaches to Mental Health and Substance Use Screening (TEAMSS). This year-long project was designed to embed mental health and substance use screening strategies into pediatric practices nationwide. In the last year, we’ve been able to build on screening recommendations and make them more workable within the realities of clinical practice.”
“As we look forward, our new funding from the Foundation will enable us to further this work by engaging pediatric practices in a learning collaborative. This effort combines expert-led training with quality improvement strategies to enhance screening and care for youth ages 8–21. Participating clinicians will gain greater knowledge, skills, and confidence in screening for anxiety and substance use and delivering brief interventions to support early treatment and connection to care.”
Dr. Lee Beers, Chief Medical Officer at American Academy of Pediatrics
