The Health Fund has approved 48 new grants supporting innovative projects aimed at improving health in communities throughout Michigan. Our latest awards seek to produce an impact across many dimensions of health, address gaps and barriers to health equity, and develop solutions that get at the heart of pressing challenges.
A full list of grant recipients can be found at the bottom of this post.
HEALTHY AGING GRANTS TARGET ELDER JUSTICE, CAREGIVER SOLUTIONS, RURAL HEALTH
Our 2023 Healthy Aging grant cohort will receive $7,984,800 across 24 projects to improve services and supports for older adults and their caregivers.
Grants are aligned with our Healthy Aging priority areas and the Health Fund’s strategic goals, with a dedicated focus on improving access to services, pursuing health equity, improving integration of care, and strengthening the health workforce.
This year’s Healthy Aging Initiative was one of our most competitive yet, and the projects receiving support stand out for their innovative design, geographic diversity, and focus on the most urgent challenges affecting Michigan’s older adults.
“We have an opportunity in Michigan to become a national model in helping older adults access the support they need to age well, but it’s going to take creativity and cooperation across the state,” said Kari Sederburg, Vice President of Programs and Director of Healthy Aging. “That’s why we’re thrilled to support a group of projects that provide fresh, thoughtful, collaborative solutions for the challenges facing Michigan’s older adults and their caregivers.”
A grant to PACE Southeast Michigan will support a pilot to expand PACE homecare support services — considered a gold standard for person-centered, integrated care for older adults — into assisted living facilities in Warren and Troy.
The program will include a professional learning opportunity for Detroit high school students and focus specifically on serving older adults with complex care needs, behavioral health challenges, and no outside caregiver support.
Another example: A pair of linked grants to the Southeast Michigan Senior Regional Collaborative (SRC) and The Philanthropic Initiative will support the development of a respite care hub through the SRC as part of a partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. The hub will strengthen and grow the network of respite care providers in the region and develop models for funding respite services through private insurance in partnership with a health plan. The project has the potential to address significant barriers many caregivers face when trying to access badly needed support that can help balance caregiving responsibilities with other aspects of their lives.
SPECIAL PROJECTS ADVANCE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS, TECHNOLOGY, HEALTH EQUITY
The Health Fund also awarded $3,931,910 in funding for 10 projects through our Special Projects and Emerging Ideas Initiative (SPEI). This grant program makes targeted investments in innovative models and partnerships aimed at solving systemic health challenges.
Our 2023 SPEI investments were informed by listening and engaging with stakeholders from governments, numerous statewide associations, and other thought leaders working in health across Michigan.
Projects for this year are aimed at addressing health equity challenges for youth, veterans, LGBTQ+ Michiganders, and other populations of concern; improving community-based organizations’ access to vital technology; and developing solutions for workforce shortages in key health professions, including social workers, nurses, and EMS workers.
“The SPEI program is designed to empower health leaders in Michigan to test new approaches, bring key partners together, and tackle long-standing challenges affecting our state,” said Becky Cienki, Director of Behavioral Health & Special Projects. “This year’s projects offer enormous potential to support improvements that will be felt in communities across Michigan for years to come. We’re excited to see where these efforts lead.”
One example: A grant for $337,399 to the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards aims to revolutionize the social work licensure process in Michigan by shifting the focus from a test-based approach to both an education and practice-driven one. This effort aims to close gaps in access to career opportunities and create new pathways to address the critical shortage of licensed Master of Social Work (MSW) professionals.
COMMUNITY HEALTH AND CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS ROUND OUT YEAR OF INVESTMENT
Finally, in the last of three cycles through our 2023 Community Health Impact and Capacity Building initiatives, the Health Fund has awarded $1,189,852 to 11 projects aimed at bolstering community-driven solutions to health and capacity-building efforts for health-based nonprofits. Awards made through these programs fall into three categories:
Community-based Implementation grants support organizations working in close partnership with local communities to implement health-focused, community-driven interventions.
Organizational Capacity Building grants help organizations become stronger, more effective institutions within their communities to better serve their health goals.
Collaborative Capacity Building grants help increase collaboration among providers, agencies, businesses, and other community partners to support sustainable, long-term solutions to health challenges.
Including these latest grants, annual grantmaking through these programs includes 45 grants totaling more than $5 million.
“Throughout the year, we’ve been excited to support organizations of all sizes working in nearly every region of our state,” said Megan Murphy, Director of Community Health & Capacity Building. “This investment at the community level is essential to a healthier Michigan, and this final group of projects includes locally focused solutions with the power to create a wide-reaching impact.”
For example, a grant to the Lapeer County EMS Authority will support training and recruitment to help address shortages in the Emergency Medical Technician workforce, not only in Lapeer County, but in other rural communities in the state. It will also solicit input from older adults in Lapeer County on their emergency care needs and equip EMTs to provide better communication and care to older adult patients.
A YEAR OF IMPACTFUL INVESTMENT
In addition, the Health Fund is granting $1,208,720 to three projects that add to our investments earlier in the year through our Behavioral Health and Nutrition & Healthy Lifestyles initiatives.
These awards bring the Health Fund’s total grant allocations to over $35 million for 150 projects in 2023, all in pursuit of a healthier Michigan.
2023 HEALTHY AGING GRANTS
Alpena Area Senior Citizens Council, Inc.
DREAM (Dementia, Resources, Educate, Advocacy, Mentorship) — $250,000
To create a dementia-friendly county through specialized training for project partners, such as local law enforcement, EMS/paramedics, and fire services, enhancing their ability to interact positively with those affected by dementia. Additionally, the project will develop a safe return program with personalized ID bracelets and provide engagement opportunities through memory cafes.
Area Agency on Aging 1-B
Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Expansion Project — $386,188
To address the chronic underfunding of Michigan’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, aiming to demonstrate that adequate resourcing improves care quality, prevents abuse and neglect, and enhances the quality of life for residents in long-term care facilities.
Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan
Essential Care at Home — $500,000
To launch a Medical Provider Program that integrates home and community-based services with medical and behavioral healthcare for older adults, aiming to enhance health outcomes and reduce hospitalizations.
Association of Chinese Americans, Inc. (ACA)
ACA’s Bilingual Community Caregiver Program — $120,000
To elevate the well-being of older Asian Americans through the creation of a bilingual home healthcare workforce. By partnering with Mid-Michigan College, this project aims to develop a culturally sensitive curriculum and a sustainable model for training direct care workers proficient in multiple languages, overcoming language and cultural barriers in home healthcare.
Eastern Michigan University
Using Technology to Enhance Older Adult Quality of Life — $161,490
To mitigate the detrimental effects of social isolation on older adults by removing technology use barriers through a 12-week training program led by graduate student coaches.
Grantmakers in Aging
Grantmakers in Aging 2024 Annual Conference – Spotlighting Michigan Investments — $50,000
To support the 2024 Grantmakers in Aging Conference in Detroit and highlight Healthy Aging partners and innovations taking place throughout Michigan.
Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County
Aging in Place Home Repair Program — $300,000
To launch an Aging in Place Home Repair Program, focusing on critical home repairs for older adults. The initiative will allow partners to work together during the intake process, facilitating warm transfers and referrals, including referrals for older adults discharged from the hospital.
Hospice of Michigan
NorthStar Palliative Care — $350,000
To extend the successful NorthStar Palliative Care model to the City of Detroit, enhancing patient support in coordination with primary care physicians and specialists. The initiative aims to bridge the current service gap by serving underinsured individuals, backed by Medicare and private insurance billing for long-term sustainability.
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Healthy Aging at Home for Tribal Elders — $500,000
To address the limited home health support options for tribal elders in Baraga and Marquette counties by launching a culturally responsive at-home program with key community partners. This initiative, benefiting over 1,200 Tribal Elders, includes an intergenerational approach by engaging student interns.
LeadingAge, Inc.
A Michigan Leadership Team to Improve Nursing Home Quality — $499,470
To overcome nursing home quality challenges through the formation of a Michigan State Leadership Team, focusing on teamwork, quality improvement, and health equity in local nursing homes.
MHA Keystone Center
Michigan Caregiver Navigation Model Pilot: Phase 2 — $492,864
To extend the Michigan Caregiver Navigation Model Pilot, by using a learning management system to offer education and training to healthcare workers, fostering caregiver navigation programs in acute care settings, and eventually expanding accessibility to all Michigan hospitals through a flexible, web-hosted platform.
Michigan Advocacy Program
Michigan Guardianship Diversion Project Implementation — $500,000
To empower older adults and individuals with disabilities by connecting them to services and legal alternatives to restrictive guardianships, safeguarding their autonomy. Through 3-5 pilot projects, the initiative seeks to establish a replicable model for reducing unnecessary guardianships and ensuring vulnerable individuals have access to essential resources.
Michigan Disability Rights Coalition
Community Connections for Assistive Technology — $378,417
To establish a collaborative program connecting rural older adults and individuals with disabilities to assistive technology and durable medical equipment, addressing their diverse needs.
Michigan State University
Virtual Connections: Rural Health through Digital Literacy — $427,397
To address the heightened isolation and limited healthcare access faced by older adults in rural areas through enhancing digital literacy among older adults in rural communities.
Midland County Cancer Society, Inc.
CAREgivers Insight — $123,949
To facilitate real-time reporting of changing health conditions by caregivers of cancer patients through a web-based app directly linked to electronic health records. This innovative approach aims to enhance care quality, support caregivers with instructions and reminders, and foster proactive healthcare actions.
Oakland University
Access 211 to Prevent Falls Throughout Michigan — $408,499
To address the pressing issue of falls among older adults by creating a centralized, easily accessible hub via 2-1-1 to connect them with fall prevention resources in Michigan.
PACE Southeast Michigan
A Place for PACE: Co-Locating in Assisted Living Communities — $305,686
To provide wraparound services for individuals with declining health and mild memory declines through the co-location of PACE program in a dedicated wing of two assisted living communities.
Region 3B Area Agency on Aging
In-Home Personal Care Assistant Program — $474,400
To extend a successful pilot model that significantly reduced staff turnover among direct care workers. By implementing this model across service regions and enforcing training standards, the project aims to train a larger group of in-home personal care provider staff and measure the impact on a broader segment of the aging population.
Region VII Area Agency on Aging
Rural Community Care Transitions with Transportation — $500,000
To address medical care access for rural older adults by mitigating transportation barriers post-hospitalization, enhancing health outcomes, and reducing hospital readmission rates. The project uses an integrated care transition model involving Community Health Workers, a pharmacist, and primary care providers.
The Avenue Family Network, Inc.
Haven House – Intergenerational Program — $229,440
To introduce an intergenerational day care center to support caregivers dealing with dementia in older adults, reaping the proven benefits of intergenerational programs in reducing social isolation, enhancing well-being, and nurturing children’s development.
The Family & Youth Institute
Participatory Asset Mapping: Supporting Older Muslim Adults — $227,000
To address health disparities faced by aging Muslim Americans due to racial and religious discrimination by identifying barriers to accessing care, enhancing resource awareness, and disseminating valuable information to improve access to culturally relevant care and resources.
Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services
Senior Housing Eviction Diversion Pilot Program — $300,000
To pilot an innovative eviction prevention approach for older adults in subsidized housing complexes in Wayne County, drawing from successful strategies and collaborations. The program offers training, mediation, and tenant services to prevent and address eviction cases.
Boston Foundation, Inc. (Lead Partner: The Philanthropic Initiative)
Expansion of the Exhale Caregiver Respite Program — $200,000
To expand and strengthen the network of organizations providing respite services to caregivers in Southeast Michigan.
Southeast Michigan Senior Regional Collaborative
Caregiver Respite Hub Development — $300,000
To develop a care hub model supporting those caring for older adults through two inter-related components: creating a nonprofit caregiver respite hub to coordinate access to services and capacity-building support to strengthen and grow the network of local respite providers. This will enable a contractual relationship with area health plans, including Medicare Advantage plans, to coordinate and deliver respite services with SRC’s network members.
2023 SPECIAL PROJECTS & EMERGING IDEAS GRANTS
Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (dba Community Mental Health Association of Michigan)
Practice-based path to social work licensure — $337,399
To address the shortage of Licensed Master of Social Work professionals and the demographic disparities in the social work workforce throughout Michigan. The project will shift focus from a test-based approach to social work licensure to practice-driven by assessing alternatives in other states, engaging with stakeholders, and advocating for legislative changes.
Michigan Center for Rural Health
EMS HPSA – A Tool to Address the Rural EMS Workforce Crisis — $277,497
To create a methodology for an emergency medical services (EMS) Health Professional Shortage Area designation. The goal is to bring awareness to EMS workforce shortages and provide a data-driven approach to allocate resources across the state effectively, leading to improved service delivery and potential policy changes.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Healthcare Collaborative — $400,000
To bring together healthcare provider champions from major health systems to strengthen policies, provider workforce capacity, and response in the expansion of routine HIV/STI testing within emergency rooms.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Supporting CBOs to Participate in CIE Using POs — $500,000
To leverage and strengthen partnerships between healthcare and social care sectors to rectify community-based organizations’ (CBOs) capacity challenges in Community Information Exchange participation.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Collaborative Linkages for Older Veterans — $496,850
To connect older veterans with aging network and veteran services, ensuring access to support even if they do not qualify for traditional veteran benefits. The project will establish a referral network using the Unite Michigan platform, a coordinate care network of health and social service organizations.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Enhanced Health Literacy in Foster Care Transition Age Youth — $170,702
To empower youth transitioning out of foster care with the ability to advocate for their own health and mental health needs by recommending tools to measure appropriate health literacy, developing a curriculum plan, and creating a plan to integrate health literacy activities into child welfare data management.
Michigan Health Council
Regional Extension Centers for Community-Based Organizations — $249,462
To conduct outreach and lead an environmental scan to assess the needs of community-based organizations (CBOs), carving a path for better partnerships across the state between CBOs, providers, and payors when they participate in Community Information Exchanges (CIEs).
Michigan Primary Care Association
NURSES: A Program for Future Registered Nurses — $500,000
To facilitate partnerships between universities and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to provide nursing students with opportunities to train in underserved areas. The 60 clinical and 30 internship opportunities support the potential for increased experienced nurses in high need and rural regions.
Michigan’s Children
Behavioral Health & Housing Supports for Homeless Youth — $500,000
To address the significant mental health challenges experienced by homeless youth in Michigan by exploring the impact of providing 365 days of prevention and aftercare behavioral health services to runaway and homeless youth in pilot sites, as opposed to the current limit of 90 days.
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Creation of a Pediatric Health Equity Quality Collaborative — $500,000
To address health disparities in pediatric care in Michigan by forming a Pediatric Health Equity (PHE) collaborative network of community health systems and hospitals. This project will explore potential inequities through focus groups and stakeholder interviews and develop quality improvement strategies to address inequitable practices and experiences.
2023 COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPACT GRANTS
Family Service and Children’s Aid (Lead Partner: Partial to Girls)
The Transparency Project — $47,157
To engage 20 girls aged 12-17 in Jackson’s Black and low-income neighborhoods in a community-based mentorship program to address their various challenges. The program covers education, mental health, and healthy relationships.
Lapeer County EMS Authority
Lapeer County EMS Education Initiative — $143,620
To establish two EMS education academies to train students as licensed Emergency Medical Technicians, addressing the significant number of job openings for EMS professionals in Michigan.
The Color of Autism Foundation
Spectrum Community of Care Partners — $77,480
To pilot the Spectrum Family Support Partner program, training parents of color to serve as peer mentors for other families of color with children with autism spectrum disorder.
2023 CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS
ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING
Camp Blodgett
Healing & Restoration through Recreation — $22,000
To enhance Camp Blodgett’s ability to address trauma-related challenges experienced by campers by adopting trauma-informed care and a restorative justice approach.
Children’s Healing Center
Operational Excellence — $138,200
To invest in Children’s Healing Center leadership development and information-sharing platforms to enhance teamwork and standardize practices across multiple locations for their statewide expansion.
Emergent Health Partners
Building EHP’s Capacity to Identify Health Disparities — $149,262
Emergent Health Partners aims to reduce health disparities by improving the demographic data collection skills of EMS clinicians, including sensitive information like sexual orientation and gender identity. EHP plans to create training modules, involve a community advisory group, and expand the project statewide, with the goal of making these modules accessible to Michigan’s 28,000 licensed EMS clinicians, strengthening collaboration with MDHHS in shaping data standards.
Miigwech Inc.
Ogimaakwe — $149,841
To enhance Miigwech Inc.’s organizational leadership by transforming its “boardkwe” into “ogimakwe”— confident leaders who are able to promote their work to a wide audience of stakeholders, partners, and potential funders.
Project Healthy Community
Building a Model of Community-Based Data, Evaluation Sharing — $150,000
To enhance data collection and evaluation of Project Healthy Community Family’s Wellness Project by contracting with an organizational development specialist to create a comprehensive management system.
Senior Services of Van Buren County
Strategic Plan Development and Implementation — $16,434
To develop a strategic plan for Senior Services of Van Buren County with the help of a consultant to address the needs of the growing older adult population.
Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions
Health Information Exchange Server Implementation Project — $145,858
To establish a Health Level 7 Application Programming Interface (HAPI) Fast Health Interoperability Resources (FHIR) server environment to improve data accessibility in the Upper Peninsula’s rural communities.
COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY BUILDING
Michigan Disability Rights Coalition
Disability Justice Alliance — $150,000
To develop a plan to implement the recommendations of a statewide analysis that identified gaps and concerns in the disability landscape and integrate disability justice principles at the organizational level. This effort will foster collaboration among organizations and activists to address various issues affecting people with disabilities and establish internal structures for collaborative leadership within the alliance.
2023 NUTRITION & HEALTHY LIFESTYLES GRANTS
Evergreen Commons, Inc.
Vibrant Aging: Empowering, Collaborating, and Partnering — $380,000
To engage older adults in needed nutrition-based programming in a familiar, relaxed, and supportive environment as they serve anywhere from 500 to 1,000 older adults weekly through programming and activities.
2023 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANTS
Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (dba Community Mental Health Association of Michigan)
Administrative Burden Relief for Mental Health System — $328,720
To examine and eliminate non-essential administrative and paperwork demands that lead to complex and delayed access to mental health services, inflate the cost of care, and hinder recruitment and retention efforts.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
CCBHC Demonstration Expansion Technical Assistance & Support — $500,000
To establish a technical assistance system to aid SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Grantees in transitioning to CCBHC Demonstration sites.