The Foundation has announced the awardees of its Fairlawn Foundation Fund. Established in 1992 after the Fairlawn Hospital was converted into a for-profit rehabilitation corporation, the Fairlawn Foundation Fund supports innovative projects that address mental health needs in our community. Since its inception, this fund has awarded nearly $7M to support capital needs, address gaps in service, and increase the supply of qualified and culturally competent mental health professionals and paraprofessionals.

This year's six grantees will receive awards ranging in size from $20K to $80K for programs and projects that are responding to the complex mental health needs of our community.

The 2019 grantees are:

  • Anna Maria College: Awarded $37,500 for a three-year project to improve the availability of mental health services in our community by developing a pipeline of highly skilled, credentialed mental health practitioners and connecting them to employers in Worcester.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Worcester: Awarded $20,000 to support the hiring of a behavioral health specialist to better deliver wrap-around supports to youth and families.
  • Hope Coalition: Awarded $75,000 to evaluate outcomes of Worcester ACTs (Addresses Childhood Trauma), a partnership that, now in year three, provides early childhood trauma response for families with young children who are exposed to violence.
  • Open Sky Community Services: Awarded $75,000 to support year-two of a collaborative partnership that aims to address hiring challenges faced by the region's mental health and human service organizations.
  • The CASA Project: Awarded $80,000 in support of a collaborative program to address systemic issues and barriers to mental health services for children in foster care.
  • University of Massachusetts Medical School: Awarded $40,000 for its Sibling Support Program, a pilot project to support families, especially siblings, of youth with mental illness through wrap-around services and education.