Funding extends mental-health services to children, youth, and families in under-served areas of south Miami-Dade County.
Miami, FL (June 17, 2022) – Be Strong International has received a $2.5 million grant from The Children’s Trust to provide additional mental health services to vulnerable south Miami-Dade residents struggling with significant depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders. On June 13th, The Children’s Trust Board of Directors approved funding recommendations for its’ Family and Neighborhood Support Partnerships (FNSP). Twenty-two providers, including Be Strong International, were selected during a competitive Request for Proposals and review process. These funds will help directly support children and families during these challenging times.
The grant is the largest Be Strong International has ever received from The Children’s Trust, which funds programs that support South Florida families. It will provide behavioral health services for the next five years for $500K each year. The grant will renew annually, contingent upon performance and funding availability. It will help directly the families living in the neighborhoods of Perrine, Goulds, and Richmond — hit by poverty, crime, unemployment, community violence, and trauma. Services will include “Be Strong on the Block,” an intensive care coordination model.
“We are so thankful to The Children’s Trust for this generous award,” said Michelle Shirley, CEO and Chief Heart Officer of Be Strong International. “This recognition not only validates the importance of our work with young people and their families, but it also provides vital financial assistance to expand this program in South Florida.” She added, “This is only the beginning. Our intention is to create a systemic change over time, and we will need more partners to join us in this journey.”
“The Children’s Trust is proud to expand its network of providers that offer Family and Neighborhood support from 14 to 22 organizations,” said President & CEO James R. Haj. “Now more than ever, we are committed to helping to stabilize families in Miami-Dade. When a child’s family has its basic needs met, the child is more likely to achieve health, happiness, and success.”
The program will use community connectors to conduct door-to-door canvassing in community hotspots and neighboring referral sites to enroll and engage children, youth, and families. It will be led by Dr. Delvena Thomas, who trained in medicine and psychiatry at the University of Maryland Medical Systems in Baltimore, Maryland. She is board-certified in psychiatry and neurology. She also maintains a private practice in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology.
Dr. Thomas said, “Our community has suffered many challenges that have taken a toll on their mental health. These challenges are even more evident after these past two years going through a pandemic. It has affected us all, the parents, marriages, youth, and children, so the timing could not be better to provide services to heal them.”
Be Strong International has been instrumental in addressing acts of violence, partnering with Miami-Dade County in implementing Project Peace, specifically serving Goulds’ residents by including innovative youth and neighborhood virtual workshops, local leadership training, monthly free food drives, and connecting with this high-risk, high-need community, to assess their individual needs and create a plan to meet them.
To donate, visit https://bit.ly/3v6EpM6
For more information and updates, follow Be Strong International on social media @bestrongintl or through the website https://bestrongintl.org
About Be Strong International
Be Strong International is a leading non-profit that educates young people and parents through positive practices. Mrs. Althea McMillan, a retired Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher, founded the organization in 1992. For more than thirty years, Be Strong International has provided youth and families in South Florida with tools to make better decisions about relationships, money, work, and family life. The organization uses evidence-based curricula to teach adolescents and parents about strategies for building healthy relationships.
The institution also delivers educational programming to students and parents online, and in-person throughout Miami-Dade and Broward County. Be Strong International also partners with other institutions to offer events that will directly help the communities we serve, such as food drives, toy drives, and back-to-school supply drives.
About The Children’s Trust
The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future. For more information, visit www.TheChildrensTrust.org
