$90,000 Grant to benefit Invest in Health Roseville initiative

Reducing stigma around mental illness

Roseville, CA- With a new $90,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente the Health Education Council will expand “Invest in Health Roseville” initiative and continue to help the Hispanic community with a focus on lower-income students from five specific neighborhoods in Roseville.

The grant is part of Kaiser Permanente’s $2 million investment to support community organizations in their work to reduce the stigma around mental illness. Twenty-Six organizations throughout Northern California received community benefit grants, including school districts, youth and family services and community coalitions to help serve people who historically shy away from getting mental health services.

“We are excited to have this grant renewed from Kaiser Permanente,” said Debra S. Oto-Kent, Founder and Executive Director, Health Education Council. “In year one, we expanded our understanding of mental health needs, barriers, challenges and opportunities through focus groups, surveys and key informant interviews conducted in English and Spanish. In year two, we will continue to promote mental health and stigma reduction among families of the Roseville City School District.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 in 5 American adults has experienced a mental health issue, and 1 in 25 Americans live with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. One of the major barriers to accessing care is social stigma associated with mental illness.

Kaiser Permanente views stigma reduction as a necessary component of promoting improved mental health and wellness in communities. Our goals with this funding are to increase understanding of mental health as part of overall health, provide innovative interventions in populations that are challenged by stigma and establish a baseline of the current levels of mental health-related stigma and understanding of mental health.

“As we see an increase of mental health issues in our community, it is of utmost importance to partner with our own communities and do more to correct misperceptions and help reduce stigma,” said Jordan Herget, Senior Vice President and Area Manager for Kaiser Permanente Roseville. “Renewing this grant with the Health Education Council is a step in the right direction.”

This local investment is designed to complement the national Find Your Words campaign with partners including the National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line and Mental Health America.