At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, making a difference in the community is intrinsic to the work we do, and aligns with our mission to inspire health and make it easy. In early 2022, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement was launched to formalize our commitment to the public good and take our philanthropic purpose to the next level.
The foundation aims to tackle the state’s toughest health challenges, focusing on mental health, health equity, chronic health conditions and substance use disorder. With mental health as the flagship focus, the foundation is committing $5 million over three years to invest in expanding statewide resources, reducing stigma about mental health, and connecting people to care that promotes positive mental health and saves lives.
By cultivating cross-sector partnerships, the foundation funds grants that support programs and applied research to help expand and accelerate programs and services that improve well-being and reduce health disparities. As of June 2022, the foundation has granted more than $1.3 million to 19 Arizona community organizations addressing mental health.
Grant recipients include:
- A New Leaf: To address the growing number of children in need of mental health services by equipping A New Leaf clinical staff with training and resources for evidence-based therapy interventions specific to this age group.
- Arizona’s Children Association: To ensure young adults, the least likely to receive mental health care, can access behavioral support. This project will enable the expansion of the current youth support program to serve an additional 1,000 participants by creating a consistent coordination of care framework, providing ongoing staff training and additional staff to deliver mental health services and resources to prepare youth for adulthood
- Creek Valley Health Clinic: To support the improvement, expansion and development of behavioral and mental health services offered by the Creek Valley Health Clinic, located in a remote area of the state.
- El Rio Health Center Foundation: To increase staffing to support youth in need of mental health care at El Rio. This project will create a youth behavioral health team to support 200 to 300 patients.
- HealthCorps Inc.: To deliver the year-long Teens Make Health Happen (TMHH) program to schools, giving youth access to college-age mentors who engage students in activities related to mental resilience, nutrition, and physical activity.
At BCBSAZ, we believe there is no better investment to make than in the health of our state and, through the foundation, we aim to uplift Arizona’s communities. To learn more about the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement visit azbluefoundation.org/.
