Giving Back to Our Communities

Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation Award $1.1 Million to The Jed Foundation to Protect the Mental Health of New York’s Youth

Funding will help expand emotional well-being resources, educational workshops, and training programs for community-based organizations that foster communities of care statewide

September 20, 2024, NEW YORK CITY — Fidelis Care, a leading health insurer providing quality, affordable coverage to New Yorkers, and the Centene Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation, announced today a $1.1 million grant to The Jed Foundation (JED), a national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults.

With this grant, JED will expand its current services, providing at least five youth-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) with consultation or strategic planning services, including expert guidance, educational workshops, and training programs, equipping young people with life skills and connecting them to mental health care when they are in distress.

“We are thrilled to support the vital work of The Jed Foundation with this grant,” said Vincent Marchello, Chief Medical Officer at Fidelis Care. “At Fidelis Care, we recognize the importance of mental health services in creating healthier communities. This investment underscores our commitment to ensuring youth and adolescents have access to the critical support they need to thrive.”

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), it is currently estimated that nearly one in five 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States experience a major depressive episode every year, and almost half of teens 13 to 17 say they would seek out professional help only as a last resort. In New York State, the need for enhanced mental health support for school-aged youth is critical: in 2021, 57% of New York 12- to 17-year-olds with depression had not received any care in the last year.

“JED is grateful to Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation for their commitment to supporting the emotional well-being of New York youth and for providing the resources to help them thrive,” said John MacPhee, JED Chief Executive Officer. “This partnership will allow us to bring JED’s lifesaving work to community-based organizations across the state and help them build on their mental health safety nets and approaches, while positively impacting the lives of thousands of young people.”

The inaugural group of CBOs includes Bottom Line, an organization that partners with degree-aspiring students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds as they get into and through college and launch mobilizing first careers; Hetrick-Martin Institute, which provides free, year-round programs and services for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies aged 13 to 24 in New York City; and Prep for Prep, which provides first-rate educational, leadership development and professional advancement opportunities for young people of color in New York City.

"Through decades of experience at Bottom Line, we have seen that the condition of a student's mental health plays a significant role in their overall journey to becoming a college graduate and professional,” said Sheneita R. Graham, Director of Culturally Responsive Programming at Bottom Line. “Our role at Bottom Line is to build strong relationships that assist us in determining need and connecting students to resources that will help them thrive personally to persist academically. Partnering with The Jed Foundation grants us the opportunity to expertly assess our mental health policies, processes, and resources to ensure we provide our students with thoughtful, high-quality support."

"Hetrick-Martin Institute is pleased to be working with The Jed Foundation to improve our ability to recognize young people in distress and conduct suicide risk assessments," said Bridget Hughes, Chief Program Officer at Hetrick-Martin Institute.

"We are so grateful to The Jed Foundation for hosting two workshops for our incoming college freshmen as part of our annual College Transition Retreat,” said Corey Rhoades, Director of Undergraduate Affairs at Prep for Prep. “The presenters shared their expertise and tailored the sessions in a way that was uniquely relevant and engaging for our students."

To learn more about ways to provide community-based organizations with consulting, evidence-based best practices, and data-driven guidance to protect youth mental health and prevent suicide, visit JED’s website .

Screener Program Provides Support to Families Impacted by Social Determinants of Health

SDoH-chart

Fidelis Care’s innovative SDoH screener program was launched two years ago as a grassroots health equity initiative to address conditions in the environments where people are born, live, work, and play that affect their health, well-being, and quality of life. Social Determinants of Health can affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes – particularly among vulnerable populations and in underserved areas.

The screener enables trained Fidelis Care representatives to assess an individual’s immediate needs and challenges related to SDoH through a brief series of questions covering areas such as access to transportation, food, and secure and safe housing. More than 450,000 Fidelis Care members have participated to date.

Click here to learn more about the different Social Determinants of Health and find available resources.

Learn how Fidelis Care impacts the communities we are privileged to serve.

More News:

Fidelis Care and Literacy Inc. Announce Diversity through Literacy Campaign

6/29/2021 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Caregiver Support, Children's Health, Corporate News, Health and Wellness

Partnership to promote equity, inclusion, and importance
of early literacy through distribution of free books

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY, June 29, 2021– Fidelis Care, a health plan serving more than 2.3 million members across New York State and Literacy Inc. (LINC) are pleased to announce a new program called Diversity through Literacy, a timely initiative that will bring diverse books and stories to underserved communities across New York City. Fidelis Care and Literacy Inc. are working together to distribute children’s books that provide valuable perspectives on race, social justice, equity, and inclusion while also helping to educate families about the benefits of early literacy for child development.

Fidelis Care and Literacy Inc. launched Diversity through Literacy on June 19 highlighting Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

“LINC is thrilled to join Fidelis Care for the launch of our Diversity through Literacy program and looks forward to providing representative and age-appropriate books and programs that build community, add value, and drive change,” said Eliana Godoy, Director of Advancement, Literacy Inc. “LINC creates culturally responsive programs that build community and drive visible, measurable parent-child change. Poverty eradication and racial justice start with children’s access to quality early education regardless of their zip code,” she added. “Equity begins with early literacy.”

“Literacy and language develop in children from a very young age,” added Fidelis Care Medical Director and pediatrician Dr. Lisa Moreno. “Fidelis Care encourages all parents and caregivers to read to their children each day – especially during the first three years. Reading is critical for the health and development of a child’s language skills and speech.”

An in-person book donation will take place on July 7 at the Dyckman Houses and Marble Hill Houses in Manhattan – New York City Housing Authority locations that, combined, are home to more than 4,400 New Yorkers. Following the book donation, Literacy Inc. and Fidelis Care will present the community center at each location with an educational library of books about the importance of diversity and representation in children’s literature that will be available for everyone.

A Diversity through Literacy parent workshop will be held virtually on July 28, hosted by Literacy Inc. and Fidelis Care. The workshop will highlight the importance of reading diverse books as a way to build early literacy skills and introduce children to new cultures. Local children’s book authors Jessica Ralli and Megan Madison will also share a book they co-wrote called Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race.

Literacy Inc. will distribute 140 copies of the book across the five boroughs. Fidelis Care Representatives will be available to speak with parents and provide information on the importance of health and wellness for kids and families.

About Literacy Inc.:

For the past 25 years, LINC has worked to harness the power that exists in every community to make literacy a value and right of all children, promoting educational equity and lifelong social and health benefits. We empower families to read together and provide parents with the tools to support their children to become lifelong readers. When a child reads, a community succeeds!

For more information about LINC and our Diversity through Literature program, visit us at: www.lincnyc.org/onlineprograms or contact Virginia Taddoni, Communications Manager, LINC at vtaddoni@lincnyc.org or 212-620-5462, ext. 133.

About Fidelis Care:
Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 2.3 million members statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Follow us on Twitter at @fideliscare, Instagram at @fideliscare, and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

Fidelis Care contact: MediaInquiries@fideliscare.org

Literacy Inc contact: vtaddoni@lincnyc.org