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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.

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Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Francisco G. Meza Agüero, MS
9/20/2023 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, In The Community

Francisco Aguero

Hispanic communities often face health disparities because of inequalities based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we are proud to recognize the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our Hispanic community partners and to highlight the contributions they make to address issues in their communities.

Francisco G. Meza Agüero is the Public Health Resource and Strategic National Stockpile Support Officer in the Public Health Planning & Emergency Preparedness Division at the Niagara County Department of Health. He played a pivotal role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara County by helping to set up various vaccination locations that were accessible to county residents.

Francisco believes the pandemic shed a light on health disparities facing the Hispanic community. “Issues such as language barriers and lack of transportation have limited health equity for Hispanics,” he said. “We can address these issues by providing interpretation services, preparing education materials in other languages with an appropriate reading level for comprehension, and ensuring that individuals have reliable transportation to clinics and medical centers, or bringing mobile clinics to rural neighborhoods.”

Through Francisco’s work in Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, he focuses on health equity and social justice to address disparities that disproportionately impact minorities, adding “During our COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics, we had interpretation services for patients with limited English proficiency. We also collaborated with farm owners to provide vaccinations for their employees, most of whom are migrant and seasonal farmworkers.”

Francisco personally provides interpretation services for Spanish-speaking patients and nursing staff during their continued COVID-19 and influenza vaccination clinics. “Being Hispanic and able to communicate with those who speak Spanish has allowed me to build trust and relationships within my community.”  

Francisco G. Meza Agüero, MS is the Public Health Resource and Strategic National Stockpile Support Officer for Niagara County Department of Health (NCDOH) Planning and Emergency Preparedness Division. He attained a Master of Science in Forest Resources-Watershed Stewardship from the Pennsylvania State University and attended Iowa State University for further graduate studies in Water Resources. His certifications include: Foundations of Public Health (University at Albany School of Public Health/Empire State Public Health Training Center), Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED (American Red Cross), Advanced and Basic Disaster Life Support (National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc.), Bleeding Control Basic (Hartford Consensus/The Committee on Trauma/American College of Surgeons), Mental Health First Aid (National Council for Behavioral Health), Psychological First Aid Instructor (NYS Office of Mental Health/Department of Health), Emergency Management Inclusive Planning and Active Participation Specialist (Niagara University/NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council), and Points of Dispensing Essentials Trainer (Center for Domestic Preparedness/US Department of Homeland Security).

 


Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Francisco G. Meza Agüero, MS
9/20/2023 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, In The Community

Francisco Aguero

Hispanic communities often face health disparities because of inequalities based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we are proud to recognize the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our Hispanic community partners and to highlight the contributions they make to address issues in their communities.

Francisco G. Meza Agüero is the Public Health Resource and Strategic National Stockpile Support Officer in the Public Health Planning & Emergency Preparedness Division at the Niagara County Department of Health. He played a pivotal role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara County by helping to set up various vaccination locations that were accessible to county residents.

Francisco believes the pandemic shed a light on health disparities facing the Hispanic community. “Issues such as language barriers and lack of transportation have limited health equity for Hispanics,” he said. “We can address these issues by providing interpretation services, preparing education materials in other languages with an appropriate reading level for comprehension, and ensuring that individuals have reliable transportation to clinics and medical centers, or bringing mobile clinics to rural neighborhoods.”

Through Francisco’s work in Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, he focuses on health equity and social justice to address disparities that disproportionately impact minorities, adding “During our COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics, we had interpretation services for patients with limited English proficiency. We also collaborated with farm owners to provide vaccinations for their employees, most of whom are migrant and seasonal farmworkers.”

Francisco personally provides interpretation services for Spanish-speaking patients and nursing staff during their continued COVID-19 and influenza vaccination clinics. “Being Hispanic and able to communicate with those who speak Spanish has allowed me to build trust and relationships within my community.”  

Francisco G. Meza Agüero, MS is the Public Health Resource and Strategic National Stockpile Support Officer for Niagara County Department of Health (NCDOH) Planning and Emergency Preparedness Division. He attained a Master of Science in Forest Resources-Watershed Stewardship from the Pennsylvania State University and attended Iowa State University for further graduate studies in Water Resources. His certifications include: Foundations of Public Health (University at Albany School of Public Health/Empire State Public Health Training Center), Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED (American Red Cross), Advanced and Basic Disaster Life Support (National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc.), Bleeding Control Basic (Hartford Consensus/The Committee on Trauma/American College of Surgeons), Mental Health First Aid (National Council for Behavioral Health), Psychological First Aid Instructor (NYS Office of Mental Health/Department of Health), Emergency Management Inclusive Planning and Active Participation Specialist (Niagara University/NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council), and Points of Dispensing Essentials Trainer (Center for Domestic Preparedness/US Department of Homeland Security).