BY KAREN BOSSICK

An online therapy program designed for Spanish speakers. More scholarship money for counseling. More money for the Flourish Foundation to address depression among children in the Wood River Valley.

These are all part of the mental health investments St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation is making as part of Blaine County’s Mental Well-Being Initiative.

The Initiative has brought together more than 40 partners from local government, healthcare, nonprofits, education, business, and religious organizations to build a mental well-being ecosystem. And this fall St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation Board of Directors awarded several grants to support the community’s mental well-being.

“We’re focused on building the infrastructure for ongoing collaboration that will prioritize our community’s mental health for years to come,” said Megan Tanous, chief development officer of St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation. “Through monthly workgroups, partner organizations and community members are refining objectives and identifying tactics to achieve our shared vision.”

Sanarai, an online therapy program for Spanish speakers, offers more than 700 sessions of professional online therapy delivered in Spanish with support from local case managers, said Jenna Vagias, project manager for the Mental Well-Being Initiative. The online therapy program is being offered through partnerships with St. Luke’s Center for Community Health, The Hunger Coalition, Family Health Services and the Alliance of Idaho.

“It’s a major step toward expanding mental health services for our Spanish speaking population,” said Tanous.

St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation has provided $41,000 to the St. Luke’s Center for Community Health Counseling Scholarship Fund to defray the costs of mental health counseling for people in need. The counseling sessions help address an array of mental health issues, including, suicide, parenting, anxiety and depression.

“Given the high demand for mental health services, the need to provide assistance for people to access community-based counselors is high, despite St. Luke’s having its own mental health counselors.  We continue to provide this assistance to people seeking therapy support with providers outside of St. Luke’s,” said Sarah Seppa, St. Luke’s Wood River’s director of Community Health & Engagement. “Treatment of underlying mental health issues through behavioral health therapy, particularly for those with limited or no resources, is crucial to the health of our community,”

A three-year $35,000-per-year investment is being made in the Hailey-based Flourish Foundation to offer mindfulness programs to 70 percent of kindergarten through second-graders in Blaine County. The grant will also offer 12 educators a 9-month program focused on building youth mentorship programs.

“Focusing on these early years helps children develop foundational strategies for mental balance, resilience and social harmony,” said Ryan Redman, executive director of Flourish Foundation. “Research shows that early childhood experiences are key to shaping long-term cognitive and emotional development. By providing young children with tools to calm their minds, improve attention, and foster kindness, mindfulness practices can significantly enhance their well-being now and in the future.”

The impact of the Mental Well-Being initiative will be measured by the Katz Amsterdam Foundation’s Shared Measurement Framework. It tracks behavioral health data and progress on goals across eight mountain resort communities in the western United States.

“Joining the Katz Amsterdam Foundation’s ongoing focus on mental and behavioral health in the Mountain West will go a long way to assist us as we track our progress towards achieving our goal of becoming the most mentally well community in the United States,” said Vagias.

St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation is committed to funding the Initiative for three more years.

Initiative partners include St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation, Spur Community Foundation, The Hunger Coalition, Love Like Ky, Carbonate Recovery Center, Wood River Community YMCA, The Crisis Hotline, Blaine County Education Foundation, Far + Wise, The Advocates, The Space, Just Serve, Higher Ground, Flourish Foundation, National Alliance on Mental Illness-WRV, St. Luke’s Wood River, Family Health Services, KH Counseling, Alpine Integrative Wellness, Sun Valley Ketamine Clinic, Flow State Psychotherapy, Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Blaine County Sheriff's Department, Blaine County School District, Hailey Public Library, Wood River Interfaith Council, 5B Suicide Prevention Alliance, 5B Digital Wellness Network, Wood River Early Learning Collaborative, Blaine County Recreation District, Hailey Public Library, Blaine County School District, The Sage School, Wood River Interfaith Council, Light on the Mountains Center for Spiritual Living and Communities for Youth.

To learn more, visit https://www.slwrf.org/blaine-countys-mental-well-being-initiative/