The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group, announced it is taking further actions to combat the youth mental health crisis sweeping the nation. As part of a $9 million, three-year commitment that began in 2024, the Foundation has opened its second year of funding and will distribute $3 million in grants to address post-pandemic stress and distress among youth ages 5-18.
The commitment includes funding to support those who care for youth in everyday settings and interactions, including parents, caregivers, and youth service professionals, such as educators and therapists. The 2025 grant application is now open for eligible organizations in select states through March 13, 2025.
Health Technology Insights: Doc.com Announces Visionary Leadership Team for Global Healthcare Transformation
“We recognize conditions spurred by stress in a post-pandemic world are pervasive among our nation’s youth. That’s why The Cigna Group Foundation remains dedicated to partnering with trusted nonprofit organizations that can deliver local resources and services aimed at supporting and improving youth mental health and well-being,” said Melissa Skottegaard, board chair, The Cigna Group Foundation. “We’ve already seen the positive impacts of these collaborations in several communities where organizations are using grant funds to expand or launch vital youth programs. We look forward to this second year of grants to drive collective impact and create a world where young people can thrive.”
The Cigna Group Foundation will prioritize grants in regions where The Cigna Group serves a significant number of customers with high and very high social determinant of health risks, including Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. The goals with these grants include increasing the reach of programming that fosters social-emotional skills and well-being; increasing the number of parents, caregivers, and youth service professionals who feel equipped to support; and increasing pathways to mental health intervention and access to care.
Health Technology Insights: Intelerad & Strategic Radiology Deliver Innovative Imaging Solutions to Independents
According to an analysis by The Cigna Group’s Evernorth Research Institute, the number of young people with mental health conditions has increased 28% since 2018, and the number of youth with at least two mental health diagnoses has risen 48% over the same period. More than two out of three children and adolescents will experience trauma by age 16, and inadequate levels of social and emotional functioning are being increasingly recognized as central to many public health problems.
First-year Grants Support Programs to Promote Health and Well-being for Youth
In 2024, the first year of the youth mental health grant program, The Cigna Group Foundation distributed funding to 28 organizations that work with local youth every day. Initiatives funded cover a wide range of social and clinical needs, including:
- Eluna’s Camp Erin, the nation’s largest grief camp network for school-aged youth and their families across the U.S. and Canada. Through a $150,000 grant, Philadelphia-based Eluna is expanding family camps and support for caregivers and mental health professionals through developing new workgroups and workshops in multiples states.
- McCall Foundation’s Adolescent Services Program. With a $150,000 grant, Connecticut-based McCall is extending its adolescent services program to Waterbury, Connecticut. The team is using the grant to expand its Spanish-speaking clinical team and extend access and culturally appropriate care to Waterbury residents.
- Mindfulness First’s “Leading with Mindfulness” Program. The $100,000 grant is co-funding a program to provide a full-time onsite mindfulness coach during the 2025-2026 academic year in Maricopa County, Arizona. The coach will guide students through Mindfulness First’s curricula and give teachers the resources to teach these skills themselves.
- Women’s Resource Center’s Child and Youth Advocacy Program. Through a $150,000 grant, the Georgia-based nonprofit is expanding its youth program, including Camp PEACE and the GameChangers teen program, which helps children and youth overcome the trauma of witnessing violence in the home and build a foundation for healthy future relationships. Through these programs, children learn how to manage feelings of anger and frustration, discuss their fears and practice peaceful conflict resolution techniques.
Health Technology Insights: PathAI & Rede D’Or Partner to Bring AI-Powered Pathology to Brazil
The Cigna Group Foundation has a long history of impactful partnerships with nonprofits, and in 2024 announced a philanthropic and community engagement initiative committing more than $27 million in grants over three years to nonprofit organizations focused on improving youth mental health, improving veteran mental health, and reducing barriers to health equity.
Health Technology Insights: Implant Dentistry of Greater Lansing Announces New Website
To participate in our interviews, please write to our HealthTech Media Room at news@intentamplify.com
Source – prnewswire