Children’s Health Council Awarded $2.5 Million to Provide COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis Recovery by Jack Dorsey’s #StartSmall Initiative
PALO ALTO, Calif. February 11, 2021– Twitter and Square Co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey has awarded Children’s Health Council (CHC) $2.5 million to support the Bay Area agency’s COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Initiative to build capacity to respond to the mental health needs of children, teens, young adults and families that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
The #StartSmall funding will help CHC swiftly and expertly respond to the 150% increased call volume from individuals and families seeking mental health support, and to plan for and ramp up capacity for what is expected to be a long period of mental and emotional health recovery even after the immediate physical health crisis abates.
“We are seeing evidence daily that there will be a long tail of mental and emotional health impacts in the aftermath of this pandemic. The already high incidence of anxiety, depression, social and educational challenges has risen dramatically in the past year and we are grateful for this gift that allows us to add staff, build programs, and expand community outreach especially in disproportionately affected communities,” said Rosalie Whitlock, PhD, CEO of Children’s Health Council.
The #StartSmall grant allows Children’s Health Council COVID-19 Crisis Response Initiative to:
- Double financial aid so more families, regardless of income, can access top-quality clinical and educational services.
- Offer more free community education classes, support groups, and resources.
- Increase capacity to meet mental health needs of children and families in underserved communities by hiring more bilingual and community clinicians, and by adding support staff to expedite the intake process.
- Provide more school-based parent education and outreach.
- Support the health and well-being of our own front-line workers and clinicians during this time of escalated stress and fatigue.
“During this crisis our teams, partners and the community have come together compassionately and with purpose to support one another, our clients and students, and to lead us forward toward emotional recovery. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of spirit and financial resources that have made this journey bearable, and which will allow us as a community to emerge stronger at the other end,” said Dr. Whitlock.
For more information about CHC, or to seek support or resources, visit www.chconline.org.
About Children’s Health Council
Children’s Health Council (CHC) is a nonprofit agency that has been providing best-in-class learning and mental health services to families in our community for nearly 70 years. We envision a world where everyone can reach their promise and potential. Our mission is to transform young lives by providing culturally-responsive best-in-class learning and mental health services to families from diverse backgrounds regardless of language, location or ability to pay. We offer programs for ADHD, Learning Differences & Executive Functioning, Anxiety, Depression & Suicidality and Autism through our schools, education programs, clinical services, robust community education programs and online resources. Our goal is to raise awareness, build partnerships, reduce stigma and ensure that no one ever feels alone. Call 650.688.3625 to schedule an appointment or visit chconline.org for more information.
About #StartSmall
#StartSmall is Jack Dorsey’s philanthropic initiative to fund global COVID-19 relief, girls health and education, and efforts towards Universal Basic Income. Dorsey transferred $1 billion (28% of his wealth) to #StartSmall in 2020.
CONTACT:
Micaelia Randolph | Marketing and Communications | mrandolph@stage.chconline.org
Lori McGilpin | Corporate and Foundation Relations | lmcgilpin@stage.chconline.org
