Blue Ridge Receives Funds for School Based Mental Health Program

Students in Henderson County will have greater access to mental health services now that Blue Ridge Community Health Services has expanded its school-based health services program into two additional schools.

Blue Ridge, based in Hendersonville, is one of 40 nonprofit organizations to receive a $25,000 grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation under the Ribbon of Hope program.

The grant will support the expansion of mental health services within two new school health centers that are the result of collaboration between Blue Ridge Community Health Services and Henderson County Public Schools.

“Many children do not achieve success in academics due to social, emotional, and behavioral problems affecting school performance,” said Marilyn Foote-Hudson, executive director of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. “Increased access to mental health services will provide these students with hope for brighter futures.”

Blue Ridge Community Health Services has been serving Hendersonville and surrounding communities for more than 40 years, providing high quality, affordable medical, dental, pediatric, and mental health care, with special emphasis on the underserved and the uninsured.

The Ribbon of Hope program provides one-time grants of $25,000 to nonprofits for projects furthering science, health and education in their communities. The North Carolina Center for Nonprofits will provide customized consulting services to Ribbon of Hope grant recipients.

For more information about the Blue Ridge Community Health Services School Based Health program, contact Tammy Greenwell, Chief Operations Officer, 828-697-6755, ext 2288 or tgreenwell@brchs.com.