Help is Here, and it is Here Now!

PINELLAS COUNTY—At a morning Zoom press conference, the leadership team from the Pinellas Community Foundation hosted a panel of grantees to present details about a recent investment of CARES funding allocated to support nonprofits with the expansion of programs “to reach thousands suffering behavioral health effects of pandemic shock.” The grant funding is specific to helping residents of Pinellas County.

Millions of dollars in grant money ($2.6 million to be exact) has been awarded to nine Pinellas County nonprofits to add or enhance programs addressing the mental health effects of COVID-19. Collectively, these program enhancements will reach 5,500 individuals, including first responders, youth and families, average citizens, and anyone experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression. The list of nonprofit grant recipients is provided at the end of this article.

When asked what he wanted the public to know about this grant program, Duggan Cooley, Executive Director of Pinellas Community Foundation stated “Help is here, and it is here now! Services are available, reach out and help will be provided.” The programming being supported focuses on essential assistance for the most vulnerable populations in the county. The panel stressed that help is available and one of the best ways to access help is to dial 211 where the operators can point callers in the right direction for the services that match their needs. April Lott, President and CEO of Directions for Living stated “If someone is experiencing or knows someone who is experiencing issues related to suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Crisis Line is the best resource to access. They can be reached at http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or by calling (800)-273-8255. Dr. LaDonna Butler from The Well for Life offered her comment “There is no wrong door, ask a staff member and we will ensure you get connected.”

Directions for Living, one of the nine organizations awarded funding will receive $1.3 million for mental health first aid training to empower the community to know what to do when a person is having a mental health crisis, similar to how communities teach CPR. This is the Lawrence Dimmitt IV Mental Health First Aid and Access to Mental Health Services initiative. This initiative will literally save lives! Ms. Lott stated "We will be training a small army of people to recognize signs and symptoms of someone experiencing a mental health emergency and we will be partnering with Largo Police Department 24/7 to provide on-demand access to tele-behavioral health to people experiencing a mental health emergency in an effort to reduce the number of people being hospitalized under the baker act or incarcerated for behaviors related to mental illness." Directions for Living is a trauma-focused 501(c)3 nonprofit, incorporated in 1982 and headquartered in Pinellas County, Florida, serving over 30,000 clients every year, regardless of their ability to pay. Readers can visit online at www.directionsforliving.org to learn more about their program offerings.

Also receiving a grant is a collaborative program of The Well For Life and Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast who were awarded $249,627 for mental health counseling at the neighborhood level where 79% of the 14,000 kids and teens served by the clubs are persons of color and 89% live at the federal poverty level. Additionally, their grant will pay for mental health counseling sessions for staff to address their needs. For more information, readers can call 727-524-2427 and visit online at www.bgcsun.org.

PlacementWorks, an organization assisting persons with disabilities with career counseling, job placement services and job coaching will now be offering both in-person and telehealth behavioral health services to clients with disabilities as well as funds for cleaning supplies and personal protection equipment to ensure in-person counseling is provided safely according to CDC guidelines. Christy Brown, PlacementWorks’ Founder and CEO is also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and will be leading this initiative. She stated “The first few weeks of this program are going so well that we are considering offering the program into 2021 and to open it up to residents throughout the Tampa Bay region. We are actively seeking funding sources to support this expansion.”

Perhaps the most creative initiative with these grant funds is a proposal that is converting traditional classroom music therapy programming to complete an online model for safe, accessible service delivery to students in Pinellas County. This will be spearheaded by Steven Turner, the Founder and Executive Director of Rhythm Changes, a nonprofit providing therapeutic music and drumming experiences for vulnerable populations. Steven stated “COVID shut down in-person music experiences and we have been working with local music teachers to reinvent our programming. This grant will help us reach over 15,000 students and we are very excited to get started!”

Here is the complete list of the nine CARES grant recipients for behavioral health programming:

St. Petersburg Free Clinic

Inspire Equine Therapy Program

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast Inc.

Boley Centers Inc.

House Of Mercy And Encouragement Foundation Inc.

PlacementWorks

Directions for Living

University of South Florida

Rhythm Changes Inc.

Founded in 1969, the Pinellas Community Foundation has over $120 million in charitable assets and seeks effective solutions for Pinellas County’s most challenging social, environmental and educational issues, while supporting the advancement of arts and culture. More than 262 charitable organizations have received $60 million in donor-funded grants to support their community programs. The foundation’s mission is made possible thanks to the generosity of donors. For more information, call 727-531-0058.