Newswise — MAYWOOD, Ill., April 22, 2014 – Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing has received a $50,000 grant to support mental health services at the school-based health center in Proviso East High School. Loyola’s school-based health center was one of nine facilities to receive this grant from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, a private foundation created by CVS Caremark Corporation in partnership with the School-Based Health Alliance.

“Mental health services are crucial at the high school level,” said Diana Hackbarth, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and SBHC project director, Loyola’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. “This grant will allow us to continue to provide these services to support the emotional well-being of teens and children in the community we serve.”

The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing faculty established a school-based health center in Proviso East High School more than a decade ago in response to growing health-care disparities in this underserved community. Since its inception, thousands of students have been helped by the center’s primary health care, school physicals, immunizations and social work, mental health, nutrition and laboratory services.

The SBHC staff provides mental health classroom presentations and individual therapy throughout the year to help students cope with peer pressure, substance use, bullying, depression, anger management and family issues. The SBHC social worker and community outreach nurse also have taken these programs out into the community.

The school-based health center grants are part of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust’s $5 million commitment to supporting community health and expanding access to quality health-care nationwide through partnerships with the School-Based Health Alliance, the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

“Through our partnership with the School-Based Health Alliance, we are offering much-needed funding to school-based health centers that provide thousands of children across the country access to vital health services right in their local communities,” said Eileen Howard Boone, president, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust. “We are honored to recognize the Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and its work to provide access to routine health-care services and coordinated care to improve health outcomes for children and teenagers in the Proviso community.”

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