WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the APA Foundation announced 10 new grantees in the Moore Equity in Mental Health Community Grants Program, for a total of $100,000 disbursed. Established in 2021, the grants support community organizations that have undertaken innovative awareness programs and/or have provided services to improve the mental health of young people of color.

The grants are funded each year with proceeds from the APA & APAF Moore Equity in Mental Health 5k Run, Walk and Roll. This year’s race will be held in Wheaton, Maryland, and remotely (in racers’ home communities), and registration is free and open to all. It is a part of the APA’s Moore Equity in Mental Health Initiative, a series of education, outreach, and advocacy events in the summer around mental health equity for young people of color.

“Youth of color continue to disproportionately experience inequities and barriers to mental health services,” said APA Deputy Medical Director and Chief of Diversity and Health Equity Regina S. James, M.D. “The Moore Equity in Mental Health 5K event is an opportunity to bring our members and the public together to continue to ring the alarm, bring more awareness and raise funds to support organizations that provide healthcare to our youth in need.”

“To bring about positive and lasting social change, the youth mental health crisis must be acknowledged nationally and addressed locally. Each of this year’s Moore Equity grantees is spearheading impactful, data-informed, community-based efforts to help transform the lives of tens of thousands of multicultural youth across traditionally unserved and underserved communities,” said APAF Executive Director Rawle J. Andrews, Jr., Esq. “We are proud to recognize and support these organizations in their ongoing life-changing work.”

The grantees include:

Be Eccentrich, Inc., which will use its grant to support “BE WELL: A Therapeutic Art Intervention Program,” a project tailored to address the mental health disparities faced by people of color in Broward County by employing a culturally competent and inclusive approach, incorporating community partnerships, and creating accessible and community-centered locations to improve access to mental health resources, reduce stigma, and promote positive mental health outcomes.

Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc., which will use its grant to support “CPLC Nahui Ollin Wellness Program Youth Camping Retreats,” a project to engage and serve the diverse community of Pima County, which includes a demographic mix of Latino, Indigenous, white, and growing Asian and Black populations. It will address the increasing prevalence of youth marijuana use, mental illness, and gender-based violence among the county's youth population through empowerment through education, a culturally responsive approach, leadership development, youth advocacy, safe spaces, mentorship and peer support, trauma-informed care, community engagement, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, which will use its grant to support “Creating Access to Safe and Equitable Places for Our Youth to Play and Be in Nature,” a project to support the well-being and mental health of children by creating access to safe and equitable places for them to play and be in nature or greenspace environments.

FCBC Community Development Corporation: H.O.P.E. Center, which will use its grant to support “Suicide Prevention and Youth Resilience,” a project to leverage the social influence of adolescents to enhance protective factors and reduce suicide through their school-based peer networks. It will measure engagement and impact on social protective factors including peer connectedness, for youth across a range of risk levels based on prior suicidal ideation-behaviors, depression, ACE exposure, and academic achievement.

The Greatest Investment (TGI) Girls Empowerment Program, which will use its grant to support “TGI Girls Mental Health Initiative,” a program to help increase equitable access to mental health initiatives for young people of color. It will help change the narrative of mental health within communities of color by offering community events and mental health program initiatives and connecting our young people of color with industry experts who look like them.

Health Care for the Homeless, which will use its grant to support “Behavioral Health Care for Youth Experiencing Homelessness,” a project to ensure both access to behavioral health care and culturally and linguistically appropriate care for young people of color through their home health model.

Jubilee Healing Farm, Inc., which will use its grant to support “Peer Outdoor Education for Mental Health,” a program aimed to address the mental health disparities in anxiety and depression among college students. It will particularly focus on self-identified Black students by providing a range of support services and training that directly address the unique challenges and stressors faced by these populations such as discrimination, microaggressions, and the stress of navigating environments where they are underrepresented.

NAMI Greater San Antonio, which will use its grant for the “WELLness for Youth,” a project that will support youth in the three schools that surround Haven for Hope, the community's largest homeless shelter. It will provide staff development, parent education and youth education on mental health topics through the school year.

WrapAround Enterprises, which will use its grant to support “Emerge Youth Initiative,” a multi-media educational arts education project that will amplify voices of youth on substance use and prevention. It will engage multi-generational audiences by providing culturally competent education, prevention, and public awareness services that are safe and effective to meet the needs of the marginalized youth and families that they serve.

YWCA National Capital Area, which will use its grant to support “EmpowerYOU,” a program to promote awareness of mental health among its program participants. It will deliver innovative programming that addresses the mental health inequities they face, increasing their equitable access to mental health care and empowering them to advocate for their mental health needs by providing them with access to tools and resources that will improve their resilience and mental health long-term.

More about other grantees of the program.

More about APA’s Moore Equity in Mental Health Initiative.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 38,900 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.

American Psychiatric Association Foundation

The American Psychiatric Association Foundation is the philanthropic and educational arm of APA. The APA Foundation promotes awareness of mental illnesses and the effectiveness of treatment, the importance of early intervention, access to care, and the need for high-quality services and treatment through a combination of public and professional education, research, research training, grants, and awards.