AZ Blue Foundation Awards $1.2M to Improve Mental Health Across Arizona
To expand access to mental health services and reduce stigma across Arizona, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement awarded more than $1.2 million in its recent Mental Health Matters grant cycle.
The funding assists organizations tackling mental health crises, suicide prevention, substance use disorders and youth mental health. The 11 organizations receiving support include:
Project Willow Rebloom, one of the grant recipients, is opening the nation’s first inpatient psychiatric unit for Arizona mothers and babies experiencing severe Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.
“Arizona is facing a growing crisis in maternal mental health,” said Diane Ortega, administrative director & co-founder of the Willow Midwife Centers for Birth and Wellness AZ. “The Willow Rebloom Mother-Baby Unit will address the urgent need for comprehensive perinatal mental health care.”
There is a 44 percent increase in pregnancy-related deaths within Arizona, with maternal mental health as the leading cause. Alarmingly, 90 percent of these deaths were preventable. The Willow Rebloom Mother-Baby Unit will provide critical, accessible care for these underserved populations.
For more behind this Frontdoor, visit azbluefoundation.org.
