FCCF Partners with HSC Increasing Youth Access to Medical and Mental Health Care

The Human Services Council is pleased to announce that the Fairfield County Community Foundation has awarded a grant of $31,000 to its Dr. Robert E. Appleby School Based Health Centers. This partnership will help to directly minimize barriers that would otherwise prevent Norwalk Public School students from accessing basic healthcare.

Many children and adolescents do not receive basic medical and mental health care due to various obstacles to treatment, including: inconvenient community clinic hours, long wait times, transportation challenges, and financial constraints. And, the numbers around Connecticut public school students and mental health are particularly compelling: nearly one in five children and adolescents experience symptoms of mental health disorders and, of those, only 15 – 20% receive services.

The Dr. Robert E. Appleby School Based Health Centers (SBHCs), a program of the Human Services Council, eliminate barriers to treatment by providing medical and mental health care to Norwalk Public School students at school and at no out-of-pocket cost to their families. The SBHCs provide medical and mental healthcare in the three Norwalk high schools (Norwalk High School, Brien McMahon High School and Briggs High School), as well as mental healthcare at Nathan Hale, Ponus Ridge, and West Rocks Middle Schools. With a return-to-class rate of 92%, the School Based Health Centers keep Norwalk Public School students healthy, in class, and ready to learn.

Anthony DiLauro, Executive Director of The Human Services Council, commented: “Our SBHCs are able to attract youth populations that are typically harder-to-reach, especially minorities and males, and we reduce delay in the initiation of treatment for medical and mental health problems. We are thrilled that the Fairfield County Community Foundation has partnered with us by funding this important program.”

About The Human Services Council

For seven decades, the Human Services Council has identified unmet community needs and ‘filled in the gaps’ by creating and fostering programs that educate, safeguard, and empower the people of our communities. With a primary focus on helping children and families in the Greater Norwalk area, its five programs address child abuse and advocacy, school-based medical and mental health services, mentoring, alcohol & drug prevention, and homelessness. In collaboration with its community partners, the Human Services Council positively impacts the lives of over 8,000 children, families, and individuals each year.  

About Fairfield County Community Foundation

The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes the growth of community and regional philanthropy to improve the quality of life throughout Fairfield County. Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds and contribute to existing funds. The Foundation provides philanthropic advisory services, and develops and leads initiatives to tackle critical community issues. It is in compliance with the Council on Foundations’ national standards for community foundations. The Foundation has awarded over $168 million in grants to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. For more information, visit www.fccfoundation.org.