PEABODY — YMCA of Metro North and North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc. will share coronavirus relief money to strengthen their mental health assistance work.
Mental health providers, including the two Peabody agencies, are preparing for the “tsunami of need” that is heading their way in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF).
The demand for mental health support — especially among Essex County’s most vulnerable populations — continues to rise as fear and anxiety about the virus, unemployment and social isolation builds.
This surging mental health crisis is a major focus of the next round of grants from Essex County Community Foundation’s Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund, established in March to support nonprofits on the frontlines of the pandemic response.
The Fund released $805,000 in aid last week including $415,000 directed toward nonprofits focused on mental health and substance use disorders.
“The fallout from the pandemic continues to raise concerns about health and, for many people, where money for groceries and next month’s rent will come from,” said ECCF President and CEO Beth Francis. “This sustained worry — compounded by the stress associated with social isolation — means many residents are constantly on edge.”
The increased demand for mental health services is tapping into a healthcare system already strapped for resources. Community health care centers and other nonprofit organizations offering these services — which struggled pre-COVID — are reporting a grave mental health workforce shortage, especially of bi- and multilingual mental health professionals.
“Anxiety and fear are also significant for those on the front lines, many of whom are concerned about being exposed or bringing the virus home to their families,” added Francis. “Living with any of these worries for weeks and months on end requires mental health support.”
In addition to the $415,000 in grants for nonprofits focused on mental health and substance use disorders, the new funding round is also providing support for emergency childcare ($152,500); food and other basic needs ($37,500); support for seniors ($55,000), the disabled ($87,500), the homeless ($15,000) the economically disadvantaged ($35,000) and frontline healthcare workers ($7,500).
“What’s more is that the shift towards telehealth — which requires access to devices and a reliable internet connection or hefty data plan — means that many poor residents cannot gain access to this new form of care,” said Carol Lavoie Schuster, ECCF’s vice president for grants, nonprofits and donor services. “This is resulting in a doubling of patients at emergency mental health walk-in centers.”
This total round of nonprofit support is made possible by $650,000 in funding from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, established by First Lady Lauren Baker and the One8 Foundation to support those across the Commonwealth most impacted by COVID-19. This statewide fund works in concert with regional community foundations to strategically fill in where gaps are pronounced.
“As needs evolve and emerge, ECCF is once again so grateful to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund for supporting us in our mission to get funding to the organizations and people who need it most,” said Francis. “This partnership has significantly increased our ability to positively impact the cities and towns of Essex County.”
To date, ECCF has awarded nearly $2.7 million through 170 grants to nonprofits battling COVID-19 and the resulting fallout from the virus.
“Unfortunately, the effects of this pandemic will not be going away anytime soon,” said Francis. “Our nonprofit community — and the residents they serve — will need our support for a long time to come and ECCF is in this for the long haul.”
Donations to the Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund at www.eccf.org/COVID-19ResponseFund.
The mission of Essex County Community Foundation is to inspire philanthropy that strengthens the communities of Essex County. We do this by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits and engaging in strategic community leadership. Since 1998, ECCF and its family of more than 230 charitable funds have granted $85 million to nonprofits, schools and students in Essex County and beyond.
