Grants help at-risk pregnant women, drug and mental health screening

Staff report

Youngstown

A $100,000 grant from the Western Reserve Health Foundation will help the Mahoning County Juvenile Court launch a new program to identify and recommend treatment for drug and mental-health issues in the families of young offenders.

Meanwhile, a foundation grant of $70,900 will support the county board of health’s new “Centering Pregnancy” program, which will help groups of at-risk pregnant women choose health-promoting behaviors and teach them to their infants.

“Programs like these are important, but public resources for them are limited,” said Phillip Dennison, chairman of the foundation and principal at the accounting firm of Packer Thomas & Co. .

The juvenile court and BOH projects dovetail with the foundation’s priorities “that align with the goals and objectives” outlined in the Mahoning County Community Health Assessment, said Casey Bertolette, coordinator of supporting organizations and grant-making for the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, of which WRHF is an affiliate.

WRHF wanted to “give some seed money to some new projects,” Bertolette added.

In the juvenile court, WRHF’s support will fund the hiring this year of a new, licensed chemical-dependency counselor.

The counselor will screen, recommend treatment for and follow up with family members of delinquent young people to improve their chances for rehabilitation. The court hopes to screen more than 1,000 family members this year for substance abuse and depression.

The grant requires the court to monitor and report on the results of the screening, referral and follow-up activities involving family members.

“By addressing drug use and mental-health issues in families, we can be more effective in supporting successful rehabilitation of young people,” said Juvenile Court Judge Theresa Dellick.

The grant for the Centering Pregnancy program will help lay the foundation for the effort, which will involve regular group meetings among expectant mothers, assessments and regular interaction with an obstetrics and gynecology specialist and other elements.

Plans for this year include hiring and training a program coordinator, recruiting a local obstetrician and gynecologist, renovating office space, visiting successful Centering Pregnancy sites and working with the Centering Health Care Institute, the Boston-based organization that helps launch such programs.

The service to local, at-risk mothers would start early next year.

“This group-oriented approach has shown proven results in other communities,” said Mahoning County Health Commissioner Patricia M. Sweeney. “We are confident it will make an impact on the tragically high infant death rate in our community.”

The foundation also announced two other grants:

$20,000 for Access Health Mahoning Valley, which arranges care for those without health insurance and helps them navigate the Affordable Care Act. The grant will help Access hire a case manager to assist uninsured adults.

$5,000 for Meridian Community Care’s PANDA Leaders Club, through which students meet to discuss and promote responsible decisions about drug and alcohol use, violence, teen pregnancy and other issues and communicate those messages to their classmates. PANDA stands for Prevent and Neutralize Drug Abuse.

“It’s expanded to include anti-bullying, social media awareness and a couple of other components,” Linda Kostka, the Community Foundation’s coordinator of development and donor services, said of PANDA.

The WRHF receives donations and awards grants that promote health-related needs in Mahoning County. As of June 30, 2014, the foundation had more than $13 million in assets. The foundation was established in the 1980s as the fundraising arm of the Western Reserve Care System. In 2012, the foundation enlarged its mission to support health care needs countywide and became an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.