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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:


TV Host Evette Rios to Join Fidelis Care at The 2017 Great New York State Fair
8/22/2017 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Corporate News

SYRACUSE (August 23, 2017) – Fair goers will find healthy school lunch ideas and unique cooking tips from TV host and lifestyle expert Evette Rios, who will highlight Fidelis Care’s presence at The Great New York State Fair this year. The local health plan is also planning free vision screenings for students and a school supply giveaway in addition to its sponsorship of Senior Citizens’ Days and the Adopt-a-Family program. 

Fidelis Care will be on-site during all 13 days of the Fair with an exciting series of events designed to help families get ready for back to school. Each day, representatives will be available at Fidelis Care’s booth in front of the Art and Home Center to answer questions about health insurance and help eligible residents apply for enrollment. 

Youth Day, August 31:

Wegmans Demonstration Kitchen with Evette Rios at 12:30 PM in the Art and Home Center. Evette will be creating crispy cauliflower crust pizza, kale salad with avocado dressing, and superfood brownies. 

“Ask the Expert” with Evette Rios at the Fidelis Care booth from 2-3 PM

Student Day, September 1: 

Fidelis Care will give away over 6,000 free school supplies to help families prepare for the start of the new school year. Fidelis Care Representatives will give backpacks, spiral notebooks, calculators, and pencils to children beginning at 10 AM at Fidelis Care’s booth. 

Fidelis Care will also offer free student vision screenings provided by Davis Vision and Empire Visionworks.

Adopt-a-Family and Senior Days:

Fidelis Care is once again supporting the Adopt-a-Family program, which provides local, low-income families with free admission to the Fair as well as food and entertainment vouchers. In addition, Fidelis Care continues its sponsorship of the Fair’s Senior Citizens’ Days on August 28 and August 29 when visitors age 60 and older are offered free admission to the Fair.

“As a Statewide health plan, Fidelis Care is pleased to have a strong presence at the Fair each year,” said Chief Marketing Officer Pamela Hassen. “It’s always a great opportunity for us to promote health and wellness for children and adults of all ages.” 

"We are pleased to renew and extend our partnership with Fidelis Care because of the value they provide for fairgoers through several public events. I encourage everyone to take advantage of these excellent opportunities," said Troy Waffner, Acting Fair Director.

About Fidelis Care:

As a faith-based, mission-driven health plan, Fidelis Care offers quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life, including products available through NY State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace. With more than 1.6 million members Statewide, Fidelis Care was founded on the belief 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


TV Host Evette Rios to Join Fidelis Care at The 2017 Great New York State Fair
8/22/2017 • Posted by Fidelis Care in Corporate News

SYRACUSE (August 23, 2017) – Fair goers will find healthy school lunch ideas and unique cooking tips from TV host and lifestyle expert Evette Rios, who will highlight Fidelis Care’s presence at The Great New York State Fair this year. The local health plan is also planning free vision screenings for students and a school supply giveaway in addition to its sponsorship of Senior Citizens’ Days and the Adopt-a-Family program. 

Fidelis Care will be on-site during all 13 days of the Fair with an exciting series of events designed to help families get ready for back to school. Each day, representatives will be available at Fidelis Care’s booth in front of the Art and Home Center to answer questions about health insurance and help eligible residents apply for enrollment. 

Youth Day, August 31:

Wegmans Demonstration Kitchen with Evette Rios at 12:30 PM in the Art and Home Center. Evette will be creating crispy cauliflower crust pizza, kale salad with avocado dressing, and superfood brownies. 

“Ask the Expert” with Evette Rios at the Fidelis Care booth from 2-3 PM

Student Day, September 1: 

Fidelis Care will give away over 6,000 free school supplies to help families prepare for the start of the new school year. Fidelis Care Representatives will give backpacks, spiral notebooks, calculators, and pencils to children beginning at 10 AM at Fidelis Care’s booth. 

Fidelis Care will also offer free student vision screenings provided by Davis Vision and Empire Visionworks.

Adopt-a-Family and Senior Days:

Fidelis Care is once again supporting the Adopt-a-Family program, which provides local, low-income families with free admission to the Fair as well as food and entertainment vouchers. In addition, Fidelis Care continues its sponsorship of the Fair’s Senior Citizens’ Days on August 28 and August 29 when visitors age 60 and older are offered free admission to the Fair.

“As a Statewide health plan, Fidelis Care is pleased to have a strong presence at the Fair each year,” said Chief Marketing Officer Pamela Hassen. “It’s always a great opportunity for us to promote health and wellness for children and adults of all ages.” 

"We are pleased to renew and extend our partnership with Fidelis Care because of the value they provide for fairgoers through several public events. I encourage everyone to take advantage of these excellent opportunities," said Troy Waffner, Acting Fair Director.

About Fidelis Care:

As a faith-based, mission-driven health plan, Fidelis Care offers quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life, including products available through NY State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace. With more than 1.6 million members Statewide, Fidelis Care was founded on the belief 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