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HomeMemberHelpful ToolsHealth ResourcesSocial Determinants of HealthGiving Back

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.

Fidelis-JED-Social

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.

More News:


Preparing for your Child’s First Eye Exam
6/20/2022 • Posted by Dr. Lisa Moreno, Pediatrician and Medical Director at Fidelis Care in Children's Health, Health and Wellness, In The Community

Mens-Health-Resources-Fidelis-Care-Health-Insurance

June is Child Vision Awareness Month. Taking care of a child’s vision is important for learning and social development. Below are some recommendations and tips for what to expect for your child’s first eye exam.

First exam and frequency of exams

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children have their eyes checked starting as newborns. After that, screenings are recommended as follows:

  • Newborns: In the newborn period, a pediatrician will do an eye exam to check for abnormalities or infection. Premature babies, babies with signs of eye disease or those babies with a family history of childhood eye disease may need further specialized exams by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) during the newborn period.
     
  • Birth to 6 months: Your child’s pediatrician will perform a physical exam of the eye to look at external structures of the eye, to check the pupils for an appropriate light reflex, and to look for a red reflex (light reflected through the pupil from the back of the eye) using a handheld device called an ophthalmoscope. This is the time to talk with your pediatrician about any family history of childhood vision problems.
     
  • 6 months and up: Your child’s pediatrician will continue to perform external eye exams and use the ophthalmoscope as detailed above. The exam will also include checking that each of your child's eyes look at and appropriately follow a toy or face.
     
  • Starting at 1 to 2 years: At this age, instrument-based screening devices may begin to be used for vision screening. These may include photoscreeners and autorefractors, computer-automated devices that use light and cameras to gauge how well your child can see.
     
  • Starting at 3 years: Visual acuity screening is recommended at ages 4 and 5 years, as well as in cooperative 3-year-olds. This involves asking your child how well they can see the details of letters or symbols from a set distance.

 

What to Expect at a Vision Screening

Vision screening may be performed in different ways depending on your child's age. Some screenings need your child's cooperation to read or match images in an age-appropriate way. Other screenings use special tools to measure the eye position, reflection of light off the back of the eye or focus of light into the eye.

Infants and children typically have vision screening performed by their primary care doctor/pediatrician. If a comprehensive eye exam is needed, your child will be referred to an ophthalmologist.

 

The Difference between a Vision Screening and a Comprehensive Eye Exam

A comprehensive eye exam is performed by an eye doctor to determine if there are clear signs of eye disease. Eye drops are applied to widen the pupils of the eyes to allow for a fuller view of the internal eye structures. Instrument-based devices may be used to examine the eye as well.

 

References


Preparing for your Child’s First Eye Exam
6/20/2022 • Posted by Dr. Lisa Moreno, Pediatrician and Medical Director at Fidelis Care in Children's Health, Health and Wellness, In The Community

Mens-Health-Resources-Fidelis-Care-Health-Insurance

June is Child Vision Awareness Month. Taking care of a child’s vision is important for learning and social development. Below are some recommendations and tips for what to expect for your child’s first eye exam.

First exam and frequency of exams

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children have their eyes checked starting as newborns. After that, screenings are recommended as follows:

  • Newborns: In the newborn period, a pediatrician will do an eye exam to check for abnormalities or infection. Premature babies, babies with signs of eye disease or those babies with a family history of childhood eye disease may need further specialized exams by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) during the newborn period.
     
  • Birth to 6 months: Your child’s pediatrician will perform a physical exam of the eye to look at external structures of the eye, to check the pupils for an appropriate light reflex, and to look for a red reflex (light reflected through the pupil from the back of the eye) using a handheld device called an ophthalmoscope. This is the time to talk with your pediatrician about any family history of childhood vision problems.
     
  • 6 months and up: Your child’s pediatrician will continue to perform external eye exams and use the ophthalmoscope as detailed above. The exam will also include checking that each of your child's eyes look at and appropriately follow a toy or face.
     
  • Starting at 1 to 2 years: At this age, instrument-based screening devices may begin to be used for vision screening. These may include photoscreeners and autorefractors, computer-automated devices that use light and cameras to gauge how well your child can see.
     
  • Starting at 3 years: Visual acuity screening is recommended at ages 4 and 5 years, as well as in cooperative 3-year-olds. This involves asking your child how well they can see the details of letters or symbols from a set distance.

 

What to Expect at a Vision Screening

Vision screening may be performed in different ways depending on your child's age. Some screenings need your child's cooperation to read or match images in an age-appropriate way. Other screenings use special tools to measure the eye position, reflection of light off the back of the eye or focus of light into the eye.

Infants and children typically have vision screening performed by their primary care doctor/pediatrician. If a comprehensive eye exam is needed, your child will be referred to an ophthalmologist.

 

The Difference between a Vision Screening and a Comprehensive Eye Exam

A comprehensive eye exam is performed by an eye doctor to determine if there are clear signs of eye disease. Eye drops are applied to widen the pupils of the eyes to allow for a fuller view of the internal eye structures. Instrument-based devices may be used to examine the eye as well.

 

References