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, New York City FC Bring Healthy Recipes to Kids and Families this School Year

11/22/2021 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Corporate News, Lunchology

Health Plan’s Newest ‘Lunchology’ Menu Offers Creative, Fun Menus to Help Fuel Families on the Go this Fall

NYS PTA Survey Reveals Parents Welcome Healthy Snack Ideas

NEW YORK (October 6, 2021 ) – Fidelis Care, in partnership with New York City Football Club, is launching its newest “Lunchology” menu, featuring healthy, fun, and creative recipe ideas to help fuel busy families on the go – particularly as a new school year begins.

“Fidelis Care is proud to share our latest Lunchology menu, developed in partnership with New York City FC,” said Chief Member Engagement Officer, Pam Hassen. “These recipes are both kid- and parent-friendly, as well as fun and easy to make as a family. We’re proud to be a resource for health and wellness in the communities we serve.”

The statewide health plan is celebrating the 5^th year of its popular Lunchology program, which began in 2016 as a way to help families across New York State make good nutrition a priority. From breakfast and school lunch ideas, to quick and healthy dinners and snacks, the more than 50 Lunchology recipes have provided a helpful resource for hundreds of families over the years – all while encouraging quality time together, inspiring creativity in the kitchen, and promoting healthy, affordable choices.

The new Lunchology menu was developed by Chef Matt Gottlieb, Sous Chef Lalo Ortega, and Registered Dietician Elizabeth Canepari, and includes tasty breakfast ideas like overnight oats and a French toast casserole; easy-to-make meals like homemade chicken nuggets and taco zucchini boats; and a special dessert - healthy ice cream made from bananas.

To better understand the challenges facing families today, Fidelis Care also collaborated with the New York State Parent Teacher Association (NYSPTA) to survey parents about how their children’s eating habits have been impacted during the COVID pandemic, as well as their top concerns around nutrition as kids return to school.

The survey revealed that more than 60% of parents are concerned that their child developed unhealthy eating habits during the pandemic, while nearly 84% think their child would eat better if they had access to more healthy, nutritious, and inexpensive recipes. One major concern voiced by families is that their child’s habits around unhealthy snacking is a problem.

“Families continue to look for healthy and affordable meal and snack options for their children,” offered NYS PTA President Dana Platin. “Alarmingly, many families face food insecurity, and its critically important to give support as they support their children’s health and wellness. We look forward to working with Fidelis Care and NYCFC to continue to support our state’s children.”

“We’re excited to provide families with easy and fun recipes that will help fuel kids to run, jump, and play just like the players on the field,” added Chef Matt Gottlieb, Executive Chef for New York City FC. “Here at NYCFC, we understand that a healthy diet is essential for the overall health and well-being of our bodies, especially for active, growing kids. We hope that with these recipes, families can enjoy quality time and understand that eating healthy can be fun!”

To view the new Lunchology menu online and download a printable copy, visit www.fideliscare.org/lunchology . The menu is also available in Spanish.

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.

About New York City Football Club:

New York City Football Club (NYCFC) is an American professional soccer team that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference of the League. It was announced as the League's 20th franchise on May 21, 2013 and is the first and only MLS Club located within the five boroughs of New York City. NYCFC kicked off its inaugural MLS season in March 2015 and is majority owned by City Football Group (CFG). In 2019, the Club finished top of the Eastern Conference and qualified for the 2020 Concacaf Champions League for the first time in franchise history. NYCFC’s Academy features teams from the U-12 to U-19 age groups and became the first Academy in the country to win back-to-back national titles at the U-19 level. NYCFC proudly supports City in the Community (CITC) foundation to use the power of soccer to uplift communities; one of the programs, New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI) is a first-of-its-kind public-private community partnership to open 50 mini-soccer pitches in underserved NYC neighborhoods in five years.