BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Aug. 5, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic
arm of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), today announced its first round
of grant recipients for its new initiative to support youth mental
health. As part of this grant program, The Cigna Group Foundation
has allocated $9 million to nonprofit
organizations over the next three years to intervene in the youth
mental health crisis.
"At a time when there's been a significant uptick in demand of
mental health care, The Cigna Group Foundation is focused on
improving the health and vitality of our communities through strong
partnerships with local nonprofits," said Melissa Skottegaard, board chair, The Cigna
Group Foundation. "According to a recent analysis by the Evernorth
Research Institute, the number of young people with mental health
conditions has increased 28% since 2018, and the number of young
people with at least two mental health diagnoses has risen 48% over
the same period. Right now, improving the mental well-being of our
kids and teens is a clear priority for us, and we are grateful for
the opportunity to collaborate with so many organizations making a
difference in their communities."
The grant program will address post-pandemic stress and distress
among youth 5 to 18 years old, with a focus on programs and
services delivered in schools and related settings. The goals of
the grant program in this first year are to expand the reach of
programming that fosters social-emotional skills and well-being;
increase the number of parents, caregivers, and youth service
professionals who feel equipped to support; and extend pathways to
mental health intervention and access to care.
Of the 22 youth mental health grantees, nearly half of the
organizations reported that this is their first time receiving
funding from The Cigna Group or The Cigna Group Foundation. This
includes Mindfulness First (Arizona), McCall Foundation, Inc.
(Connecticut), Children's
Bereavement Center (Florida),
Wings for Kids (Georgia), Lion's
Pride Mentoring, Inc. (Illinois),
New London Counseling Center (Pennsylvania), Physician Associate Foundation
of the American Academy of Physician Associates (Pennsylvania), Conexión Américas
(Tennessee), Austin-Travis County Mental Health and Mental
Retardation Center (Texas), and
Planting Seeds (Texas).
Additional grantees are El Rio Santa Cruz Neighborhood Health
Center (Arizona), The Village
for Families & Children (Connecticut), Metropolitan Ministries, Inc.
(Florida), Women Moving On, Inc.
(Georgia), Human Support Services
(Illinois), The Community House
(Illinois), The Foundation for
Barnes-Jewish Hospital (Missouri),
LOGOS School (Missouri), Oasis – A
Haven for Women and Children (New
Jersey), Education Law Center – PA (Pennsylvania), Gestalt Community Schools
(Tennessee), and Eluna
(Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas).
The Cigna Group Foundation has a long history of impactful
partnerships with nonprofits, and recently announced a
philanthropic and community engagement initiative that has
committed more than $27 million in
grants over the next three years to nonprofit organizations focused
on improving youth mental health, veteran mental health, and
reducing barriers to health equity.
To kick off the youth mental health initiative, The Cigna Group
Foundation earlier this year announced a national partnership with
the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which is using funding to
lead the development and production of a teen mental health guide,
while also partnering with The Cigna Group on employee volunteer
activities.
More information on the youth mental health grant program can be
found here.
About The Cigna Group
The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is a
global health company committed to creating a better future built
on the vitality of every individual and every community. We
relentlessly challenge ourselves to partner and innovate solutions
for better health. The Cigna Group includes products and services
marketed under Cigna Healthcare, Evernorth Health Services or its
subsidiaries. The Cigna Group maintains sales capabilities in more
than 30 countries and jurisdictions and has more than 186 million
customer relationships around the world. Learn more at
thecignagroup.com.
About The Cigna Group Foundation
The Cigna Group
Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from The
Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Group
Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to
enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the
well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those
communities where employees of The Cigna Group live and work.
Media Contact
Jocelyn Parker
(313) 510-4173
Jocelyn.Parker@CignaHealthcare.com
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SOURCE The Cigna Group