NEW Mental Health Fund Announced

NEW Mental Health Fund Announced

The Windom Area Health Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of a new fund, set to go live this fall: the Mental Health Fund.

Why? It’s no secret that mental wellbeing is a challenge in rural areas. It’s a challenge for adolescents, who are growing up in an era of access to social media and excessive screen time, correlated to mental health issues. Minnesotans in rural areas like ours have to travel farther to get mental health services, and our provider-to-patient ratio is sorely skewed: just one per 740 residents, compared to one per 200 in metro areas.

We need more options. We need better education. Both of these are not cheap.

Funding for widespread community initiatives or for advanced provider certifications can be inaccessible. Plus, the cost of mental health services alone can be a barrier to people getting the help they need.

Responding to Community Needs

Early this summer, the Foundation Board committed $50,000 in start-up funds for the launch of a Mental Health Fund. It is the only Fund of this kind in our region.

The Fund purpose is three-fold:

  1. Support community initiatives that improve awareness of and responsiveness toward mental health crises;
  2. Support professional training (therapists, first responders) to provide seamless, higher levels of care while responding to mental health crises; and
  3. Support families through direct assistance for an eligible unmet financial need due to a mental health crisis.

Greg Scheitel, Windom Area Health Foundation Board Chair and Mental Health Consultant at Southwest West Central Service Cooperative, has been key in the development of this initiative. “I’ve had the privilege to work with numerous families and had many conversations with professionals in my 20+ years of work. A few barriers that continue to come up are cost of services (insurance inconsistencies with paying for the services), cost of licensure/re-licensure requirements, trainings being done locally, and access to services in our communities,” said Scheitel.

“As a Foundation, our vision for the Mental Health Fund is to assist in providing support to our families and area professionals by reducing some of the burden that those barriers create.”

Of note, the Fund will not cover provider licensing. This is the responsibility of individual providers, practitioners, and agencies.

Applying is Easy & Confidential

Requesters will be able to fill out an application that is evaluated by the Foundation Board of Directors. For applicants requesting direct assistance, names and sensitive information will be scrubbed to protect confidentiality.

Approved applicants will have expenses paid through Foundation funds. The policy and application will be available as early as this fall by contacting Katie Greener or visiting the WAH Foundation website page.

We Need the Community’s Help!

We are asking for our community—organizations, residents, and business owners—to come alongside the Windom Area Health Foundation in making this Fund go LIVE for this fall school semester. We need your support.

Join us by registering a golf team at our rescheduled “Tee Off for Mental Health” golf tournament on August 23. Donate online by clicking here, and make a one-time or recurring gift. Mail a check to the Windom Area Health Foundation: PO Box 339, Windom MN, 56101. Or, talk with your financial advisor about tax-savvy options for planned gifts.

Established in 2002, the Windom Area Health Foundation is the charitable arm of Windom Area Health. Together with Windom Area Health, our mission is to promote exceptional quality care and wellbeing for rural communities in southwest Minnesota.

Contact Director Katie Greener to learn more about how to give or be involved with the launch of the Mental Health Fund: [email protected] or 507-831-0633.

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