IBX Foundation and CHOP expand Youth Mental Health Services to Philadelphia elementary schools

PHILADELPHIA, September 26, 2024–The Independence Blue Cross (IBX) Foundation held its Youth Mental Health Summit, an event bringing together healthcare professionals, educators, policymakers, and community leaders to emphasize the importance of school-based mental health programs in fostering health equity and positively influencing the outcomes of Philadelphia students.
Additionally, IBX Foundation announced its financial support that will help triple the number of Philadelphia students who can benefit from school-based mental health services. This follows the success of a pilot program with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Girard College that began in 2021. Philadelphia students at two elementary schools in West Philadelphia — Mastery Charter Hardy Williams Elementary and Add B. Anderson Elementary School — will soon be able to seek mental health support through the initiative.
The summit, held at the Constance E. Clayton Education Center, included remarks by Gregory E. Deavens, president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony H. Williams, and a panel discussion with Jermaine Dawson, deputy superintendent of academic services, School District of Philadelphia, and Dr. Tami Benton, psychiatrist-in-chief, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, CHOP. The conversations underscored how prevention is key and how various stakeholder groups must continue to build on partnerships – like the one between the IBX Foundation and CHOP – to create sustainable, scalable, school-based mental health solutions.
The Philadelphia school-based mental health initiative funded by the IBX Foundation in collaboration with CHOP will make it easier for children to receive the care they need.
In the pilot program at Girard College, supported by CHOP clinicians, about two-thirds of students said the treatment they received helped them to do better or feel better. Same-day crisis screenings were reduced to zero by the third year, and nearly 90 percent of caregivers said that the program makes accessing treatment easier for their children.
“Today’s summit underscores an opportunity,” said Heather Major, IBX Foundation executive director. “As the eighth-largest school district in the country and one of the most diverse, the Philadelphia school-based mental health initiative will reach even more students locally and serve as a model to help kids in every community.”
“Providing mental health services to students where they are, in the school setting, is crucial to helping them achieve healthy futures,” said Dr. Tami Benton, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at CHOP. “We need to come together to identify scalable solutions for school-based mental health services so our youth have the resources they need. At CHOP, we are deeply committed to continued partnerships with all stakeholders to ensure every child gets the mental health care they need in the right place and at the right time.”
“We need to make sure that we meet the social, emotional, and mental health needs of all our children, and school districts can’t do this work alone,” said Tony B. Watlington, Sr., superintendent, School District of Philadelphia. “Organizations like the IBX Foundation help bring us together to create brighter futures for our kids.”
The Philadelphia school-based mental health initiative at Girard College was featured in the latest IBX Foundation Making Change Happen docuseries, which highlights real people and stories behind the IBX Foundation health equity initiatives,
About the IBX Foundation
For more than a decade, the Independence Blue Cross (IBX) Foundation has been dedicated to the health and well-being of communities in southeastern Pennsylvania. By the end of 2024, the IBX Foundation will have awarded grants (totaling more than $85 million) through its philanthropic initiatives and as part of its commitment to expanding access to care, strengthening the healthcare workforce, and advancing health equity. Learn more by visiting our website: ibxfoundation.org. Connect with the IBX Foundation on LinkedIn.