mind matters logo
San Andreas, CA – This year’s recipient of a Mother Lode hospital’s annual community grant will be addressing a growing need for accessible and affordable youth counseling.
Dignity Health-Mark Twain Medical Center made the $32,000 funding award at a recent luncheon to the nonprofit Murphys-based Mind Matters Clinic for a collaborative effort called the Calaveras Youth Behavioral Health Project (CYBHP).
Targeted to county youth ages 5-17, and the professionals who work with and treat them, the project scope includes providing a series of up to ten free counseling sessions for children who struggle with autism, ADD/ADHD, and conditions such as depression, anxiety and behavioral issues that often accompany these diagnoses.
Mind Matters’ mission is to help individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD, and learning disabilities in achieving their maximum potential, and to promote public understanding by serving as a community resource.
Within the program, youth will be able to gain knowledge of expected social behavior and social cues; learn how to interact with peers, parents, and teachers in a healthy way; improve overall mental health, relationships, positive interactions with peers and in the community by learning tools for self-regulation and building self-esteem.
Covering Availability, Income Gaps
The offering is expected to help relieve families who are uninsured, underinsured with high deductibles and those without access to therapists on their insurance plans.
The grant award also provides for MTMC ER staff training on how to recognize the symptoms of mental illness, and social skills workshops for mentors/mentees in the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program.
Project goals include increasing the number of local mental health service providers as well as access points and available appointments. Brief intervention counseling and support groups will additionally be offered to improve the quality of life for seniors who receive mental health services or participate in older adult support groups.
Dignity Health-MTMC spokesperson Nicki Stevens comments, “MTMC is proud to continue to collaborate with local organizations that align with our mission, vision, and values. This partnership will allow greater access to the youth and their families that face challenges that can affect their future for years to come, and with these resources provided — together, we can contribute to a supportive and positive outcome for these families.”
She adds, “Working together, for the greater good — is how we transform our world and assure our youth that we are here to care for them, often when they are most vulnerable. Caring for our community is a privilege, one that we continue to strive for excellence in — we all have the power to unleash ‘Humankindness’.”