FY2023-2027 Mental Health Grant

The Mental Health RFP was created in alignment with the Regional Access Project Foundation’s core focus on advancing Health, Mental Health, and Juvenile Intervention throughout the Coachella Valley and Palo Verde Valley. The mental health and safety of all residents in these regions are essential to overall community well being, resilience, and long term economic stability. An individual’s mental health is shaped by both genetic and environmental factors, and a safe and healthy community is one in which all residents have access to quality education, safe and healthy homes, stable employment, physical activity, proper nutrition, and comprehensive physical and mental health care. Communities that lack access to these protective factors experience higher rates of chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, as well as increased daily stress that negatively impacts long term health outcomes and regional growth.

While the Coachella Valley and Palo Verde Valley continue to grow, Eastern Riverside County experiences persistent disparities in access to mental health services when compared to more urban counties across California. These disparities are particularly evident in provider availability, service delivery in remote communities, and access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care. Transportation barriers, workforce shortages, and limited infrastructure further restrict timely access to high quality services for underserved populations. As a result, this RFP was specifically developed to support programs that improve access to mental health services by enhancing the quality and availability of care in remote areas through innovative systems that address service access, and delivery barriers. The RFP also prioritizes increasing awareness of mental and emotional health resources through strengthened outreach, education, and community engagement across the Coachella Valley and Palo Verde Valley. In addition, it supports increased cultural competency and the reduction of language, stigma, and cultural barriers by promoting culturally responsive and language appropriate care. Through funding, oversight, technical assistance, and strategic guidance to community partners, the Mental Health RFP was established to strengthen regional systems of care, reduce inequities, and improve long term mental health outcomes for Eastern Riverside County residents.

The Mental Health Grant initiative supports programs aligned with the following strategies. Programs focus on:

• Improve quality of mental health services to remote areas through innovative systems that address access, and delivery channels.

• Improve awareness of mental and emotional health resource services for residents through systems that address access, and delivery channels (not including social media).

• Support cultural competency of service providers and reduce language, stigma, and cultural barriers that prevent clients from accessing mental health care.