By Tiffany Williams –
The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced Tuesday that 23 organizations across Massachusetts will receive a combined $4.5 million in annual funding through the new Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention Grant Program.
The multi-year initiative is managed by the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention and is designed to support community-based organizations that are developing, expanding and sustaining programs aimed at improving mental health and overall well-being throughout the Commonwealth.
State officials said the funding will support locally driven prevention, early intervention and wellness programs focused on improving behavioral health outcomes among historically underserved populations.
“Strong mental well-being is essential to healthy families and communities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We want people to be able to get help before they reach a crisis point, and these grants will help trusted local organizations expand programs that strengthen well-being, reduce isolation and support healthier communities across Massachusetts.”
Administration officials said the grant program is built around the idea that community organizations are often best positioned to identify local challenges and develop solutions that meet the unique needs of residents.
“Nobody understands the needs of a community better than the people who live and work there,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By directly supporting community-based mental health initiatives, we’re building strong local partnerships that expand opportunities for prevention, early intervention, and long-term well-being at the grassroots level.”
Grant funding will support programs focused on several key priorities identified by the state, including reducing loneliness and social isolation, reducing family stress, supporting caregiver well-being, promoting infant, early childhood and maternal mental health, reducing psychological distress in immigrant populations, promoting early intervention with youth and young adults, reducing family and intimate partner violence and promoting overall well-being through education, training and skills development.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the funding is intended to advance health equity by bringing resources directly into communities.
“True health equity means meeting people where they are and equipping them with the resources they need in their own communities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, MD. “These grants enable 23 community-based organizations to design and implement behavioral health promotion and prevention programs that respond to the specific needs of the individuals and families they serve.”
The funding is structured across three grant tiers ranging from $100,000 to $350,000 annually. The framework is designed to support organizations at different stages of program development, from pilot initiatives and new programs to established efforts with demonstrated results that need support to continue growing.
“These grants allow us to focus resources on historically underserved populations and work towards alleviating inequities in behavioral health,” said Department of Mental Health Commissioner Emily Bailey. “By supporting promotion and prevention programs across the Commonwealth we reinforce the fact that mental health is just as important as physical health in every community.”
State officials said grant recipients were selected across three categories: organizations creating or piloting new programs, organizations launching or expanding existing programs and organizations seeking to grow or sustain proven initiatives.
Organizations receiving grants to create or pilot new programs include the City of Woburn, Olga’s List Inc., Aurora Springs Inc., Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, The Child and Family Wellness Center, Enlace de Familias de Holyoke and the Immigrant Family Services Institute.
Organizations receiving grants to launch or expand programs include Perspectives Health Services, Treehouse Foundation, Fathers’ Uplift, Healing Abuse, Working for Change, Lowell Community Health Center, Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Resilience Center of Franklin County, Riverside Community Care and ReUnited Inc.
Organizations receiving grants to grow or sustain existing programs include the Town of Medway, Boston Senior Home Care, Raw Art Works, Sharing Kindness Inc., The Shine Initiative and the Haitian Mental Health Network.
Assistant Commissioner Funmi Aguocha said the grant program reflects the mission of the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention to build healthier and more resilient communities throughout Massachusetts.
“OBHPP’s vision is a thriving and resilient Commonwealth where behavioral health promotion and prevention are fully integrated into every aspect of community well-being, fostering a culture of health equity and empowerment where all can engage fully in life,” said Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention Funmi Aguocha, PsyD. “These grants support organizations and programs that advance our vision for a stronger, healthier, more equitable Massachusetts.”
The Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention was established in June 2024 within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The office is focused on promoting behavioral health and wellness through prevention, education and community-based initiatives designed to strengthen mental health across the Commonwealth.
State officials said the multi-year funding commitment is intended to provide organizations with the stability needed to build, evaluate and sustain programs that address behavioral health challenges before they become crises.