Community Benefit grant cycle opens with focus on mental health and substance misuse

Jan. 26, 2024 -- Local organizations with programs addressing the health needs of residents in their communities are encouraged to apply for a Reid Health Community Benefit grant.

The process is open for the first of three cycles. Applications for the Mental Health and Substance Misuse grant will be accepted through Feb. 23.

This cycle aims to promote mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being by improving mental health and reducing substance misuse. Requests will be evaluated based on their ability to improve poor mental health-average number of days, death rate due to suicide, death rate due to drug poisoning, adults who smoke cigarettes, depression-Medicare population, and drug and opioid overdose rate.

"Our Community Benefit grants offer opportunities for organizations to improve the health indicators identified through our Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and implementation planning and additionally encourage organizations to work together toward a shared vision of making our communities healthier," said Jess Przybysz, Director of Reid Health Community Benefit & Engagement.

The three grant cycles focus on a priority area determined by the CHNA.

Nonprofit organizations must meet requirements to be eligible for the Community Benefit grants. A program or service must meet an identified community need and at least one Community Benefit objective, including improve access to health services, enhance public health, advance increased general knowledge, or relieve the burden on government to improve health.

"These funds go directly toward improving the lives of those in our community, including neighbors, friends, and loved ones," Przybysz said. "The outcomes from these grant cycles are creating generational impacts we hope will continue to create positive change in our communities for many years to come."

In December 2023, Community Benefit hosted a grant kickoff for local nonprofits to provide information on the three priority areas and the application process.

Reid Health services an eight-county area across East-Central Indiana and West-Central Ohio. In 2023, Community Benefit awarded 58 grants, funding a total of 71 health programs for residents and communities.

"We were excited to provide almost $300,000 in 2023 to fund some creative, impactful projects by our community partners throughout our service area," said Brian Schleeper, Community Benefit Specialist for Reid Health.

"These nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and other organizations work extremely hard every day to make our communities a better place by addressing a variety of health needs that were identified through our Community Health Needs Assessment. We look forward to continuing to support their great work through our grant program and other partnerships in 2024."

The kickoff gathered 135 people from nonprofits into one place to share and collaborate on activities while learning about the grant cycle criteria.

"Having our partners gathered in one room, engaged in discussions regarding collaboration, and brainstorming strategies to work together was an amazing experience. One of our focus groups defined community collaboration as 'everyone working together for a common cause and vision, bringing their own unique piece, to have the greatest impact on the community,'" Przybysz said.

Every three years, a CHNA is conducted to determine the primary concerns in the region and develop a plan for how to best use Reid's programs and activities to improve residents' health. Community input is collected through interviews, focus groups in all eight counties, and a survey provided in English and Spanish.

In 2022, 1,051 people participated in the CHNA to help determine the health needs, and as a result, a third grant cycle was added. The three primary focus areas are mental health and substance misuse; physical activity, nutrition, and weight; and maternal, infant, and children's health.

Community Benefit will distribute $300,000 in grants in 2024 to nonprofit organizations. Requests are evaluated based on the applicant's ability to improve indicators for each cycle.

Following this first grant cycle open through Feb. 23, the next two application cycles are in the spring (physical activity, nutrition, and weight from April 8 to May 10) and the summer (maternal, infant, and children's health from July 8 to Aug. 9).

More information about the Reid Community Benefit program, the health needs assessment, and the implementation strategy can be found at ReidCommunities.org.

About Reid Health Community Benefit
Community benefit is the basis for the tax-exempt status of not-for-profit hospitals. Community benefit is defined as programs or activities that improve access to health services, enhance public health, advance health knowledge through research and education, and/or relieve the burden of government to improve health.

In 2010, the Affordable Care Act added new requirements for tax-exempt hospitals in the areas of community health needs assessment (CHNA), implementation strategy, billing and collections, and reporting. In 2014, the IRS issued final rules implementing these requirements. The goals of these provisions are to ensure tax-exempt hospitals are meeting the health needs of their communities and to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

Grants, along with other specific outreach and requirements to meet Reid Health's not-for-profit status, have put more than $168 million back into the community in the past five years. A committee of Reid's governing board and community members reviews grant requests. The grants are awarded as part of the health system's efforts as a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization.