Mental Health Workforce Grants Announced

THE LEE FOUNDATION COMMITS $533,275 IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF THE MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE IN WESTERN NEW YORK

Commitments are part of the Foundation’s $1.2 Million annual grantmaking strategy in mental health

Buffalo, NY (September 1, 2021) – The Patrick P. Lee Foundation, a private foundation focused on Education and Mental Health, announced $533,275 in scholarships and grants to address the mental health workforce shortage facing Western New York.

An estimated 122 million Americans – including 4 million New Yorkers – live in a Mental Health Shortage Area, as designated by the Health Resource & Services Administration (HRSA).  And, according to the Well Being Trust, 33% of individuals who seek care wait more than a week to access a mental health clinician, 50% drive more than one-hour round trip to mental health treatment locations, and 50% of U.S. counties have no psychiatrist.

Although the workforce shortage existed prior to the pandemic, the recent increase in demand for mental health services has made the situation even more critical. In 2020, four in ten adults in the United States reported symptoms of anxiety or depression – a significant increase from the previous year when one in ten adults reported these symptoms.

“As demand for mental health services continues to rise, additional strain is being placed on an already overwhelmed system,” said Jane Mogavero, executive director, Patrick P. Lee Foundation. “The Foundation’s approach includes grants to local partners and longer-term advocacy efforts. By far, our greatest investment is in people. We are building the pipeline of mental health specialists and, equally important, investing in the current workforce by providing training opportunities so they feel supported and able to advance in the field.”

The Foundation funds will be directed to three key areas – Scholarships, Training and Advocacy:

• Scholarships ($397,600)

The Foundation awarded 20 scholarships, up to $32,000, to students studying psychiatry, psychology or psychiatric-mental health nursing. As a condition of the scholarship, students make a commitment to remain in Western New York for five years after graduation. Partner institutions include Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Nursing and D’Youville College.  

• Training ($85,675)

This summer, the Foundation awarded Value Network $85,675 to provide a series of trainings for mental health professionals across twenty-one agencies in Western New York. The series will have customized tracks for different levels of professional staff, including: entry level, clinical, leadership and quality improvement. Topics will include enhanced training techniques to handle difficult emergency situations, telehealth, counselor wellness and preventing burnout. In total, 100 mental health professionals will participate and, after successful completion of the series, each will earn 30 continuing education units.

• Advocacy ($50,000)

In collaboration with three philanthropic partners, the Foundation commissioned the Think Bigger Do Good policy series, which addresses crucial behavioral health issues and promotes effective advocacy. The most recent paper, Enhancing the capacity of the mental health and addiction workforce: A framework proposes several solutions including training for primary care providers to screen, assess need, provide treatment and refer patients to specialty care as appropriate. To encourage discussion and advance the recommendations outlined in the paper, the Foundation moderated a national webinar with Dr. Anita Burgos and Dr. Ben Miller, co-authors of the paper.  

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About the Patrick P. Lee Foundation

Patrick P. Lee Foundation was established in 2007 when Patrick P. Lee sold

International Motion Control (IMC), one of the world’s premier manufacturers of shock absorption and vibration isolation products.  Based in Buffalo, NY, the Lee Foundation is a private family foundation dedicated to having immediate and measurable impact in two key investment areas- Education and Mental Health.  For more information, contact Jane Mogavero, Executive Director, 716.844.3100, jmogavero@lee.foundation.

About Value Network

Value Network, IPA is an affiliation of healthcare partners working proactively and with conviction to develop and implement integrative clinical solutions to the inefficiencies and communication gaps plaguing our healthcare system. For more information, contact Andrea J. Wanat, Chief Operating Officer, 716.831.2700, awanat@valuenetworkwny.org.

About Think Bigger Do Good

The Thomas Scattergood Foundation, Peg’s Foundation, Patrick P. Lee Foundation, and Peter and Elizabeth Tower Foundation commissioned the ‘Think Bigger Do Good Policy Series’ to address crucial behavioral health issues and promote effective advocacy. Each paper in this series identifies the problem and recommends clear strategies to advance the delivery of mental health and substance use disorder care. For more information visit, thinkbiggerdogood.org.