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:

NEWS RELEASE: New York City FC and Fidelis Care Kick Off 2020 Youth Soccer Festivals

8/26/2020 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Corporate News, In The Community

NEW YORK (August 26, 2020) – New York City FC (NYCFC) and Fidelis Care have kicked off the 2020 Youth Soccer Festival Series as part of their partnership renewal. The festivals are led by City in the Community (CITC) and South Bronx United (SBU) young leaders who are using the power of soccer to promote healthy lifestyles, connect communities and promote gender equality.

Now in the third year of the partnership, NYCFC and Fidelis Care have the shared goal of increasing access to free soccer across the five boroughs. These soccer festivals not only provide opportunities for young New Yorkers to compete in free and friendly soccer matches, they also bring communities together in a healthy and fun way. At each festival, Fidelis Care will provide medals for the winning teams, as well as sponsor the NYCFC street team and onsite player appearances.

The first festival, the “Soccer Bloc 5 Borough Tournament,” took place on Saturday, August 10 at one of the New York City Soccer Initiative mini-soccer pitches at Triborough Bridge Playground in Astoria, Queens. 20 CITC young leaders put on the Tournament, bringing together more than 50 local kids from all five boroughs who have been participating in free soccer clinics this summer.

The soccer festivals feature music, face painting and other family-friendly activities. Fidelis Care representatives will be location to answer questions about health insurance and to help eligible residents apply for enrollment.

"Hosting these free soccer festivals in partnership with the NYCFC is a great opportunity for Fidelis Care to provide local families with healthy and fun activities," said Chief Member Engagement Officer Pam Hassen. "Joining with NYCFC to promote the importance of healthy lifestyles and to inspire kids of all ages is central to our mission. We are here to be a resource for the community."

The two remaining festivals will be held in the Bronx and Brooklyn:

Bronx:
“Football for Equality Festival”
Saturday August 24, 2020 10AM - 2PM
Macombs Dam Park River Avenue and E. 157th Street
Bronx, NY

The South Bronx Festival has been inspired by the CITC young leaders that attended this year’s streetfootballworld’s Festival 19. During the 2020 Women’s World Cup, young leaders from East Harlem traveled to Lyon, France to participate in a youth forum that demonstrates soccer’s unique position to promote gender equality. The young leaders have returned to New York City and will share their new skills with the local community at this Festival.

Brooklyn:
Saturday September 7, 2020 10 AM- 2PM
New York City Soccer Initiative mini-pitch in Brownsville, Brooklyn
PS 446 (Riverdale Avenue Community School)
76 Riverdale Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

About New York City Football Club

New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in New York City 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. Majority owned by City Football Group (CFG), New York City FC plays its home games at Yankee Stadium, which is also home to minority owner, the New York Yankees. Now in its fifth season, New York City FC kicked off its inaugural MLS season in March 2015 and has former US National Team captain Claudio Reyna as its Sporting Director and Domènec Torrent as its coach.

Website: NYCFC.com | Twitter: @NYCFC | Instagram: @NYCFC | Hashtags: #NYCFC | Facebook.com/NewYorkCityFC

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 1.7 million members Statewide, Fidelis Care believes that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

Follow us on Twitter at @fideliscare and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare.