Grant Partners

Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee’s (CEOC) mission is to empower people and mobilize resources to fight the impact and causes of poverty through education and organizing. CEOC envisions an inclusive and diverse Cambridge without poverty, where everyone has affordable housing, quality health care, education, food security, and economic stability. CEOC will provide the Journey to the Hope program (the organization’s PM+ intervention program); increase staff members' knowledge, comfort, and confidence in discussing mental health and delivering Journey to Hope to community members.

Partners In Health (PIH)’s mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. PIH strives to achieve two overarching goals: to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair. PIH has significant experience implementing Problem Management Plus (PM+), a psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that non-specialists can deliver to address common mental health conditions in people affected by adversity. PIH adapted PM+ through a cross-site process and piloted it in Rwanda, Peru, Mexico, and Malawi from 2016 to 2021, and it continues to be delivered across all these settings. As part of Advancing Community-Driven Mental Health grant program, PIH will provide technical assistance to the grant partners and will provide project management for the three-year grant program.

Quincy Asian Resources, Inc’s (QARI) mission is to foster and improve the social, cultural, economic, and civic lives of immigrants and their families in order to benefit their communities. QARI will provide the Life Balance program (the organization’s PM+ intervention program); increase staff members' knowledge, comfort, and confidence in discussing mental health and delivering Life Balance to members of the community and hold events to educate community members about the availability of the program.

The Family Van’s mission is to educate, counsel, and assist community members in strengthening and protecting their bodies, minds, and communities by increasing access to health care and improving the health of residents in Boston's most underserved communities. The Family Van empowers community members by improving health literacy and providing preventive screenings in a welcoming and non-judgmental environment. In 2021, The Family Van launched Healthy Roads, a program adapted from the PM+ model to reduce the stigma of mental health care while increasing access to high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive care. Healthy Roads helps those struggling with social isolation, stress, and adversity learn new coping, problem-solving, and help-seeking skills while also providing referrals to specialized care for those who are experiencing acute and severe mental health distress. As part of Advancing Community-Driven Mental Health, The Family Van will provide technical assistance to the grant partners. 

Stavros' mission is to help persons with disabilities and Deaf people develop the tools and skills they need to take charge of their own lives. They accomplish this through programs and services designed to meet the needs of persons of any age or disability as they work to achieve the life goals that are important to them. Stavros provides services to persons that identify as having a disability and who live in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties of western Massachusetts. Stavros will work with the BCBSMA Foundation and its technical assistance partners to support community members in addressing mild mental health distress and practical problems of daily living. Stavros will implement the PM+ model to support people with disabilities who live in western Massachusetts and have difficulty getting services due to limited access to the internet and transportation.