Taking Action Now
Through our Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, we are investing $5.29 million in Arkansas-based programs to improve access to, and awareness of, behavioral health programs focused on our community. We are giving money to six organizations across Arkansas. Each are proven experts on addressing behavioral health needs in children and adults, and also help grow our state’s network of behavioral health medical professionals. [See photos from our press conference announcing this initiative here.]Investing in Our Future
The health and well-being of our children is something we all care deeply about. Too often, behavioral health conditions in children are not detected until later in life. Untreated behavioral health conditions early in life, such as anxiety, depression, or issues related to childhood trauma, can lead to significant health problems as children age.
- HealthySteps, a pilot program led by Arkansas Children’s, places behavioral health specialists in pediatric primary care clinics in Arkansas to help families better understand and recognize symptoms of behavioral health conditions in children and connect them to care.
- Arkansas Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools provides resources to school employees to recognize signs of childhood trauma and support children and their families by connecting them with local behavioral healthcare resources. The program also provides behavioral health resources to schools during times of crisis.
Strengthening Our Care Provider Network
You can’t access behavioral healthcare services if there aren’t enough trained care providers. Unfortunately, Arkansas faces a shortage of these providers. To support a stronger, healthier future, grants to Arkansas State University, University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, and University of Arkansas – Little Rock, will expand Master of Social Work programs, training new specialists and placing them in primary care settings here in the Natural State.