South County Health wins $600,000 for local services

South County Health will use a $600,000 grant from the Rhode Island Foundation to reduce high rates of illness, chronic disease and health disparities in Washington County.

“Roughly 75 percent of your health status is influenced by social, economic and environmental factors related to where you live. Living a healthy life is more likely when you are part of a community that promotes health and healthy choices,” said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

South County Health will use the grant to support the region’s Health Equity Zone: South County Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds initiative. The partners include Thundermist Health Center of South County, the Chariho Youth Task Force and the North Kingstown School Department.

“Washington County has the state’s highest suicide rate, dangerous levels of alcohol and substance abuse and poor access to mental health care,” said Susan Orban, director of the South County Healthy Bodies,Healthy Minds initiative.

“According to state Department of Education data, more than a quarter of students in grades 6 through 12 reported they felt so sad or hopeless that they stopped their usual activities. Mental health issues go untreated or undiagnosed and substance abuse is prevalent,” she said.

The work will include designing a long-term strategic plan for improving mental health, encouraging residents to participate and expanding collaborations with hospitals, health centers, schools, police departments and community organizations.

A portion of the funding will be used to analyze the social determinants that lead to multi-generational poverty and school failure as well as to provide much-needed services in two specific communities.

The Foundation selected South County Health from nearly 40 applicants. The recipients were chosen based on how well they brought together clinical and community-based organizations, engaged residents, proposed measuring outcomes and leveraged other funding or in-kind support.

“We sought place-based initiatives that will bring together partners with a shared vision and action plan to address social determinants of health,” said Steinberg.

South County Health is among six nonprofit organizations that will share a total of $3.6 in grants from the Foundation. Five of the six recipients work closely with the state Department of Health (RIDOH) through local Health Equity Zones such as the one in Washington County.

“By working to address the underlying factors in communities that have the great effects on health outcomes, these grant recipients and Rhode Island’s Health Equity Zones are working to ensure that each and every Rhode Islander has an equal opportunity to live a long, full, healthy life,” said Nicole Alexander-Scott, RIDOH director. “We look forward to partnering with these organizations in the months and years to come on this critical work.”

ONE Neighborhood Builders in Providence, Progreso Latino in Central Falls, Thundermist Health Center of West Warwick, Thundermist Health Center of West Warwick and the Women’s Resource Center in Newport also received $600,000 grants.

The majority of the funding – $2.8 million – is from the Foundation’s Fund for a Healthy Rhode Island. The remaining $800,000 comes through the Foundation’s Healthy Lives Strategic Initiative budget.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised $38 million and awarded $43 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities in 2017. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.