Written by Kim Furlow, communications manager, Institute for Public Health
The Institute for Public Health is offering two new funding opportunities for partnerships and projects that address the needs of people experiencing severe mental illness and housing insecurity. The new funding opportunities stem from a March 2024 Next Steps in Public Health event called, “Power in Partnership: Bridging from crisis to community for people experiencing housing insecurity and serious mental illness.” Read the event summary.
The institute is offering Mental and Behavioral Health Pilot Project Funding of up to $30,000 for projects which address the above needs. This is a one-time, 12-month funding cycle. The institute seeks project submissions from community/academic teams consisting of at least one faculty member who is an Institute for Public Health Faculty Scholar at WashU, and one community partner. The application deadline is August 30 at 5 p.m. CDT. Funding will be awarded in October 2024.
Read more about Pilot Funding and apply!
The institute also calls for ideas for community/academic partnerships to develop projects that meet the needs of those experiencing housing insecurity and serious mental illness. The institute is offering Mental and Behavioral Health Partnership Development Funding of up to $10,000 to project teams consisting of at least one community partner and one WashU partner, who is also an Institute for Public Health Faculty Scholar. The submission deadline is August 30 by 5 p.m. CDT. Funding will be awarded in October 2024.
Read more about Partnership Development Funding and apply!
About Next Steps in Public Health
The March 2024 Next Steps in Public Health: Mental and Behavioral Health event welcomed more than 80 WashU and community partners, mental health and housing experts to the Delmar Divine. The day-long session focused on hospital-community partnerships to address the major health and social issues facing individuals experiencing housing insecurity and serious mental illness.
The event featured a keynote presentation, a panel discussion and breakout groups focused on the following topics:
- Programs to facilitate direct linkage to housing or other resources in the Emergency Department
- Creating or augmenting street medicine or other outreach programs
- Partnerships with federally qualified health centers and other local medical and behavioral health partners
- Growth in respite care (post-acute short-term housing and support)
The following key themes and takeaways emerged from four breakout discussions:
- There is a broad need for cross-sector collaboration and coordination.
- Policy change-in both Medicaid payment policy and in city and county policy-is needed to facilitate the kind of work that needs to be done.
- Specific investment in workforce is needed to sustain the work going forward.
More detail regarding these themes is available in the event summary.
Funding opportunities are provided by the Institute for Public Health. The Next Steps in Public Health: Mental and Behavioral Health event was organized and supported by the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy and Economics Research, the Center for Community Health Partnership and Research, the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Emergency Medicine at WashU; and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.