Cigna Group Foundation to give $9M in grants to 22 nonprofits to support of youth mental health

PHOTO | COSTAR Cigna headquarters in Bloomfield.

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The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group in Bloomfield, has announced its first round of recipients for a new grant program supporting youth mental health.

The foundation said Monday it has allocated $9 million to 22 nonprofits in Connecticut and nine other states over the next three years to intervene in the youth mental health crisis.

Monday’s announcement follows its announcement in April that it would invest 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.

Melissa Skottegaard, chair of The Cigna Group Foundation board, said there has been a “significant uptick” in demand for mental health care. She cited a new analysis by the Evernorth Research Institute that found the number of young people with mental health conditions nationwide has increased 28% since 2018, while the number of young people with at least two mental health diagnoses rose 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,” Skottegaard said.

The grant program will address post-pandemic stress and distress among 5- to 18-year-olds, with a focus on programs and services delivered in schools and related settings.

The foundation said the programs’ goals 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 provide support; and extend pathways to mental health intervention and access to care.

The foundation added that 10 of the 22 youth mental health organizations receiving grants reported that this is the first time they have received funding from Cigna. Those organizations are:

Mindfulness First in Arizona

McCall Foundation Inc. in Torrington, Connecticut
Children’s Bereavement Center in Florida
Wings for Kids in Georgia
Lion’s Pride Mentoring Inc. in Illinois
New London Counseling Center in Pennsylvania
Physician Associate Foundation of the American Academy of Physician Associates in Pennsylvania
Conexión Américas in Tennessee
Austin-Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center in Texas, and
Planting Seeds in Texas.

Additional grant recipients are:

El Rio Santa Cruz Neighborhood Health Center in Arizona
The Village for Families & Children in Hartford
Metropolitan Ministries Inc. in Florida
Women Moving On Inc. in Georgia
Human Support Services in Illinois
The Community House in Illinois
The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Missouri
LOGOS School in Missouri
Oasis – A Haven for Women and Children in New Jersey
Education Law Center – PA in Pennsylvania
Gestalt Community Schools in Tennessee, and
Eluna, with locations in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.