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:

After COVID-19 Pandemic, Making New Friendships Important for Men’s Health

6/20/2023 • Posted by Dr. Gaurav Malhotra and Dr. Sudeep Ross, Fidelis Care Medical Directors in Health and Wellness, Men's Health, Mental Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s lives in many ways, including its impact on our mental health. At the start of the pandemic, social distancing was required to reduce the spread of the disease. That meant many people started to work remotely and only saw their friends using online meeting platforms.

For many businesses, there was no going back. The elimination of work commutes combined with the flexibility of working from home became the new normal.

Many companies found ways to engage with employees remotely through webinars and lunch and learn events. And while these efforts help connect employees, there is a concern that work-based friendships have decreased in the remote environment.

This is most troubling for men, who have been facing a “friendship recession” for the past several years. According to a recent study by the Survey Center on American Life, the percentage of men with at least six close friends decreased by half since 1990, from 55 percent to 27 percent. The study also found 15 percent of men said they had no close friends, up from 3 percent in 1990.

Before the pandemic, the workplace offered a lot of men one of their main social outlets: workplace connections. Now, for remote workers, those lunchroom conversations and office drop-ins have vanished, eliminating another social touchpoint.

Men’s Health Month in June offers us the opportunity to raise awareness for the health risks facing men – and women – when they don’t engage with friends. A University of Texas at Austin study found that “adults who are more socially connected are healthier and live longer than their more isolated peers.”

Men are encouraged to look for ways to connect. Participating in EIGs and other groups at work, joining a book club, volunteering at their kids’ activities, or signing up for an exercise group are good ways to meet other people. During those activities, it’s important to try to make connections with others. By building these friendships, men can find outlets for their feelings and emotions.

Also, it is important to realize that loneliness can lead to depression. If that happens, remember it’s OK to seek help.

Additional Resources:

https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-friendship-change-challenges-and-loss/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-health-benefits-of-strong-relationships

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6142169/