Oakland Family Services among recipients of Oakland Together Mental Health and Wellbeing Non-profit Grants
Watch the full Nov. 22 news conference announcing the Oakland Together Mental Health and Wellbeing Non-profit Grants.
Oakland County has awarded 42 non-profit organizations nearly $8.5 million in Oakland Together Mental Health and Wellbeing Non-profit Grants to expand mental health services to Oakland County residents. The grants, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are a response to the acute mental health challenges faced by many during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter and Commissioner Penny Luebs joined the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Oakland Family Services, Centro Multicultural La Familia, and CNS Healthcare during a news announcement Nov. 22 at the Pontiac office of Oakland Family Services.
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit us in March 2020, we knew that there were significant challenges to providing mental health services to residents facing crisis. So, I’m thrilled that we’re getting these critical resources from the American Rescue Plan to providers of mental and behavioral health care services,” Coulter said. “Mental health should be treated like physical health, and no one should be embarrassed or ashamed to get the help they need in these unprecedented times.”
An additional $1.2 million-plus will be shared with high performers among these 42 non-profit organizations. Click here to see the complete list of recipients.
“The Board has made an effort throughout the pandemic to ensure relevant services are getting to those who need it most, and this grant program is no exception,” Commissioner Penny Luebs said. “These organizations that provide mental health services to our residents are extremely valuable to our communities, and we were glad to have an opportunity to offer them this support.”
There are three levels of grants: operational grants from $50,000-$100,000, expansion grants from $100,001-$250,000, and community grants from $250,0001-$500,000. The United Way for Southeastern Michigan is administering the grants on behalf of Oakland County.
"Mental health services are a basic need that everyone should have access to. While lack of access was a problem even before the pandemic hit our region, the need has been amplified as we all continue to deal with the effects of COVID-19," said Dr. Darienne Hudson, president & CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan. "We are proud to once again partner with Oakland County to support the health and wellbeing of our community by facilitating access to this essential service."
Oakland Family Services, Centro Multicultural La Familia, and CNS Healthcare are three of the recipients who were on hand to share their stories and how their grant will impact Oakland County residents.
Oakland Family Services
Oakland Family Services, which is celebrating 100 years of providing prevention, education and treatment programs that provide a safety net for individuals and families in the community, will use this grant to support and stabilize staffing in its Day One program. Day One provides mental health and substance use disorder treatment that, while always in demand, has become increasingly critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At Oakland Family Services, we are thrilled to be using this grant to stabilize and ensure our continuity of staff and services,” said President and CEO Jaimie Clayton. “Like most agencies out there, we have seen shortages of critical health care positions like therapists and clinicians, so we will be using this grant to stabilize our staff, reinvest in them, so they’re able to provide the most important work, which is helping those people who are managing mental health issues like grief, depression and anxiety and the pandemic that we are seeing of overdoses and substance misuse in our community. … Oakland Family Services is very thankful for this grant and the support of Oakland County and United Way."