ARKANSAS, USA — The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, a charitable foundation established and funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is giving $5.29 million in grants to support behavioral health programs in the state.
The investment is intended to increase access to care and eliminate mental health barriers. It is focused on eight Arkansas programs that will address the state's growing behavioral health crisis and increase the number of behavioral health professionals serving our communities.
Across the United States, behavioral health conditions, including mental and substance use disorders, have risen sharply since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Arkansas, the issue is grave.
The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that incidents of suicide, along with symptoms of anxiety and depression, are prevalent in the state and at rates higher than the national average.
65.7 percent of Arkansas adolescents reportedly received no treatment during major depressive episodes.
“We believe that addressing the behavioral healthcare needs of our state requires collaboration with local organizations that have demonstrated success in increasing access, improving outcomes and reducing stigma,” said Curtis Barnett, president and CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross. “We recognize the impact behavioral health can have on the health of individuals, families, and communities as a whole. With these investments, we can help create healthier communities and give hope to those in need, while normalizing the conversation around behavioral health."
The University of Arkansas’ graduate social work program is one of the grant recipients. They will get $600,000 in grants to train licensed clinical social workers in primary care settings.
Dr. Kimberly Stauss is the social work program chair and says that because of the lack of awareness and the stigma placed on behavioral health care, people often don’t get the help they need.
“If you go to the doctor, there might be some type of sign that there is a substance abuse problem, there is a sleeping problem. If you have a social work intern embedded in the facility, that particular person can be referred right away,” she said.
She says their licensed clinical social workers will address the disparities in the pacific islander and Hispanic communities here in Northwest Arkansas.
“What we are hoping to do is recruit social work students, particularly from these communities, so that they can provide representation in their communities, hopefully at a medical care facility,” she said.
The programs selected for the Blue & You Foundation grants are:
- Arkansas Children’s
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Endowments for Arkansas State University, University of Arkansas - Fayetteville and University of Arkansas – Little Rock
- The Arkansas Chapter of The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Arkansas)
"From the onset of our research and discovery process, we knew that we’d be more successful in achieving our goal to improve behavioral healthcare in Arkansas by finding established and proven programs within the Natural State,” said Rebecca Pittillo, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. “As we engaged with organizations across the state, I was amazed at the innovative approaches to challenging issues and the tremendous results already achieved. The programs led by the grant recipients announced today will go a long way in helping provide immediate and long-term support for Arkansans in need.”
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The programs awarded the Blue & You Foundation grants are designed to:
- Build life-long health, resiliency, and well-being for children and families by standardizing early intervention practices and addressing the drivers of behavioral health conditions.
- Expand the behavioral healthcare workforce and better integrate behavioral health into primary care, and
- Remove barriers to care such as long-standing stigma around receiving behavioral health treatment.