A foundation partnership with a St. Louis area behavioral health nonprofit. Through the IWF grant, they were able to expand their crisis hotline support and advocate for the new 988 law for mental health services.

IWF’s Future Funds Development grant to Provident Counseling turned out to be providential as the pandemic struck and the needs for mental health services increased exponentially, said Kevin Drollinger, Executive Director. “Timely, and wonderful!” The grant funding changed the trajectory of their Crisis Hotline System by enabling it to grow faster through strategic market assessments, planning, and legislative advocacy.

At the heart of this impact is the collaborative partnership established with IWF. “They invited us to have a conversation about the services that would have the greatest community impact. Mike [Fitzgerald] and Bridget [Flood] want to invest in ideas,” said Kevin. This conversation laid the groundwork to think strategically about how to expand the call center’s reach and impact. “IWF’s investment has had a huge impact, but it’s not just about the money. It’s about how they partner with the gifts and graces of those they work with” to innovate and expand services.

Provident Counseling worked with bipartisan legislators to pass the 988 Call Law. We invite you to read more at https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/10/19/925447354/new-law-creates-988-hotline-for-mental-health-emergencies