Sentara’s Nearly $3 Million Behavioral Health Innovation Fund Helps Meet Current and Future Needs.
Whether viewed through the lens of Sentara’s own Community Health Needs Assessments or nationwide studies, our communities continue to grapple with mental and behavioral health challenges on an unprecedented scale.
For example, Mental Health America’s most recent “State of Mental Health in America” report found that:
- 55% of adults in the U.S. with mental illness (more than 28 million individuals) receive no treatment.
- 1 in every 10 young people is experiencing depression that severely limits their ability to function at school or work, at home, with family, or in their social life.
- More than 15% of adults (and more than 6% of youth) experienced substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year — and of those adults with SUD, 93% did not receive any form of treatment.
Sentara is strengthening its focus on the behavioral health crisis in response to the increasingly urgent demand for services and the lack of access in many communities. These disparities require decisive action, and Sentara has committed to investing in partnerships aimed at identifying and implementing sustainable and effective solutions tailored to the needs of both patients and health plan members. Sentara has taken a leadership role in addressing the crisis by establishing the Sentara Behavioral Health Innovation Fund. This nearly $3 million initiative fosters collaboration among healthcare providers, nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations to develop innovative care delivery models that address stigma and other barriers to care.
Sentara’s Behavioral Health Innovation Fund in action
Our partnerships support training and capacity-building strategies to ensure more individuals have access to qualified providers, innovative and effective models of care, and holistic support in times of crisis.
Workhouse Arts Foundation
Lorton, Virginia
Through its Workhouse Military in the Arts Initiative, Workhouse Arts Foundation provides space for active-duty service members, veterans, and their families to engage in art psychotherapy; therapeutic artmaking; performance and culinary art; and multidisciplinary cultural experiences designed to support healing.
Ketchmore Kids, Inc.
Newport News, Virginia
Ketchmore Kids’ programs seamlessly blend arts and culture to captivate and inspire young minds, providing them the skills to avoid drugs, gangs, and negative law enforcement interactions.
The Women’s Initiative
Charlottesville, Virginia
The Women’s Initiative works to destigmatize mental health treatment and improve outreach to marginalized populations, particularly within the region’s Hispanic and Latino communities.
