Posted on October 21, 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Awards $2.12 Million in Health and Well-Being Grants

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has announced grants totaling $2.12 million to five nonprofit organizations serving veterans suffering from mental illnesses.

Awarded through the foundation's mental health and well-being initiative, the one- and two-year grants will support programs for military personnel who have returned from active duty with severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or traumatic brain injuries. The recipients include Suicide Prevention International, which was awarded $672,650 over two years to implement and evaluate a Family Psychoeducation (FPE) program at the Houston-based Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center; the Mental Health Association in New York State, which will receive $596,454 for a pilot program that assists deployed military, veterans, and their families in Jefferson and Nassau counties; and MDRC, which was awarded $400,000 over two years to increase community reintegration and employment for veterans with disabilities.

The foundation also awarded $344,112 to Massachusetts General Hospital for the Home Base Family Support Program, which in partnership with the Red Sox Foundation will work with school nurses and guidance counselors in the Boston area to develop a comprehensive toolkit that addresses the special needs of the children and spouses of military service personnel, and $109,275 over two years to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill to support employee assistance staff training for its Citizen Soldier Support Program. In addition, the foundation is working with a number of other private and public institutions to launch programs for returning military service members, including Give an Hour and the American Psychiatric and Walmart foundations.

"We believe there is much that can be done through strong, community partnerships to help soldiers who are returning home from war and their families," said Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation director Catharine Grimes. "Our projects serve as powerful examples of how public-private partnerships can drive much-needed innovations in the nature and quality of care and support available to patients who are managing their illness in their homes and communities."