$1.7 Million in Grants Approved for Local Behavioral Health Programs

The Desert Healthcare District Foundation Board has awarded $1,175,817 in grants for Coachella Valley behavioral health programs. The grantees range from schools to homeless shelters who plan to use the money to provide ongoing and new services that aim to expand community access to behavioral/mental health services. The funds were approved by the board Tuesday, July 26, stimming from a proposal request from May. The request was to identify the behavioral health needs of children ages 0 – 18 in the Coachella Valley and their families. The following grants were approved: Desert Sands Unified School District, $296,194. Grant #1340 will allow the school district, which serves about 27,000 students, to add staff including a nurse focused on behavioral health and a behavior analyst to work with children and their families. Innercare, aka Clinicas De Salud Del Pueblo, $150,000. Grant #1339 will fund two licensed clinical social workers and increases behavioral health services for children and families in Coachella and Mecca. It also supports the clinics’ ability to provide telehealth services. Martha’s Village and Kitchen, $99,854. Grant #1336 allows the homeless shelter to focus on behavioral health awareness, education and linkage through increased training and services specific to a shelter program. Transgender Health and Wellness Center, $129,769. Grant #1346 supports an opportunity for the center to expand behavioral health services for transgender residents of the Coachella Valley. University of California Riverside, $500,000. Grant #1334 will allow the university to expand its CAREspaces on- and off-campus, which are free behavioral health services available to students and their families. "Behavioral healthcare has always been an important part of the overall health and wellness of residents at every age, and it is especially important at this time for children and young adults affected by the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic, social media, and other challenges they face," said Dr. Conrado Bárzaga, Desert Healthcare District and Foundation CEO. "These grants from the Healthcare District are a first step in helping Coachella Valley families to heal and move into a brighter, more hopeful future." The first round of funding is expected to begin August 1st. For more information, please email info@dhcd.org, and to learn more visit dhcd.org.