Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation opens grant application window, hosts free webinar about transforming mental health programs

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement announced this week that it has opened its discretionary grant application window for organizations that are addressing the state’s most critical health challenges: mental health, substance use disorders, chronic health conditions, and/or health equity.

“As a Foundation, our role is to be a connector — to identify where there is a need and where we can work alongside organizations that are making an impact for Arizonans,” said Dr. Christine Wiggs, President and Board Chair for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement. 

By focusing on Arizona’s key health challenges, the Foundation aims to mobilize, uplift, and advance the health of communities statewide. It will amplify its impact through cross-sector partnerships with trusted local organizations. Through its funding opportunities, the Foundation can expand boots-on-the-ground efforts and invest in programs and applied research that improves well-being and addresses health disparities. 

"On behalf of our clinic, our patients, and our entire community, we are incredibly humbled and grateful to have been a past recipient of a generous grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona,” said Hunter Adams, CEO of Creek Valley Health Clinic, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community health center that provides mental health services in Mohave County. “Our community has a high need for health intervention, including medical, behavioral, and dental services. The grant we received allows us to continue providing integrated behavioral health services and counseling to low-income families who may otherwise have limited access to these services due to cost, transportation, or other circumstances. This goes beyond seeing a doctor or counselor, as it looks to support Mohave County residents to live as safe, healthy, and empowered lives as possible. The grant has transformed our entire rural community as hundreds of individuals have already been impacted, and there is no doubt that some lives have been saved as part of the activities we’re offering."

The Foundation is accepting letters of interest now through Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. Organizations that are invited to submit a full application must do so by Sept. 16, 2022. Funding priority is given to proposals that request up to $25,000 in funding, expand publicly available resources, are scalable (or have the potential to increase systems-level capacity), and have a measurable impact. The grant term is one year, with a funding date of Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. To learn more about the grant opportunity and to submit a letter of interest, visit: www.azbluefoundation.org/grants/overview

“Through the funding we received from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, the Yavapai Reentry Project has been able to assist multiple individuals with obtaining basic needs such as transportation, housing, food, work uniforms, and medical care,” said Merilee Fowler, Executive Director of MATFORCE, a volunteer-led coalition that was formed to reduce substance abuse in Yavapai County. “The funding has also allowed individuals to access mental health services. Providing these basic needs created hope for these individuals and empowered them to overcome barriers. We are so grateful to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona for its support and insight in providing these essential funds which has resulted in these individuals reaching their goals.”

On Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, from 10 to 11 a.m. MT, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement will host a free webinar for changemakers who are working to create a healthier Arizona. During this one-hour Zoom session, Dr. Cady Berkel, an Associate Professor at Arizona State University, will share how community-academic partnerships can turn the promise of evidence-based mental health programs into action and impact. She will share examples of the community-engaged research taking place at Arizona State University’s REACH Institute to transform evidence-based preventive interventions into feasible and effective programs that fit within regular service delivery settings, including primary care, courts, and schools. She will also offer suggestions and opportunities for community members who are interested in enhancing the real-world relevance of research findings through collaborative, community-academic partnerships. To learn more about this free webinar, and to RSVP, visit: www.azbluefoundation.org

“The funding that we received from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has allowed us to serve American Indian families with a program that restores Native culture, promotes parent-child bonding, and empowers young girls to make healthy decisions throughout adolescence,” said Rachel Chamber, Program Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health. “This funding has been specifically impactful as many of the families served have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”