$25,000 grant will enable Elevate NP to expand their support of behavioral health nonprofits serving Southwestern Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, PA — Elevate NP of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Elevate NP) has been awarded a new $25,000 capacity building grant from Staunton Farm Foundation. This grant will enhance Elevate NP’s ongoing work to support Southwestern Pennsylvania nonprofits manage change, with an increased focus on supporting behavioral health organizations.
With upcoming cuts to Medicaid expected to leave 3 in 10 young adults at risk of losing healthcare access, and with over 24% of all adults served by Medicaid having a mental illness and/or substance abuse issues, regional behavioral health organizations will soon have even less funding support to provide these crucial services to the communities that depend on them.
Elevate NP will use their Staunton Farm Foundation grant to expand access to two of their capacity building supports for regional nonprofits: Scenario Planning Clinics, which are one-time, half-day, in-person workshops to build the organization’s capacity to navigate change, and Fireside Chats on Strategic Change, which are provided as webinars and create a space for information sharing, storytelling, and discussing case studies with peers in the nonprofit community.
“Elevate NP is grateful to receive this grant from Staunton Farm Foundation, which will enable us to expand our work with behavioral health providers to manage change in a really difficult environment. These organizations are doing life-changing work around our region, and they are doing so in the face of high demand, funding challenges, and significant changes to Medicaid coming in 2027. The goal of this project is to support these leaders by providing actionable tools and space to think creatively and strategically in order to best respond and adapt to these uncertain times,” said Jon Hoffmann, Director of Elevate NP.
Elevate NP has identified approximately 1,200 organizations in the 10-county SWPA region served by Staunton Farm Foundation that include a focus on behavioral health services, representing 8.7% of the region’s nonprofit sector. While Allegheny County has the largest population seeking regional behavioral health services, the area’s outlying counties provide similarly vital support despite having significantly less access to resources.
Over 61,000 individuals in Allegheny County alone filed a publicly-funded behavioral health service claim in each of the last two years. This means while demand for mental and behavioral health services in the greater Pittsburgh region is high, relevant services often suffer from a lack of availability, accessibility, and adequate staffing and funding.
“Elevate NP has observed growing demand from human services and behavioral health providers across all of our programming, and our team is conducting extensive outreach to providers in rural areas to ensure they will also have access to this programming,” said Hoffmann.
In the next year, Elevate NP expects to reach up to 200 organizations through ten Scenario Planning Clinics, and several hundred individuals through at least four planned Fireside Chat webinars on Strategic Change. 15-20% of this audience is expected to have a behavioral health focus. Clinics are being offered in Pittsburgh, Homestead, Greensburg, Canonsburg, Butler, and Uniontown, with more sessions being scheduled.
ABOUT ELEVATE NP
Elevate NP of Southwestern PA is a regional movement of nonprofits, funders, and capacity builders working together to help organizations access knowledge, build networks, and create greater impact in the communities they serve. Elevate NP strengthens and enhances the capabilities, resources, and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector to achieve missions more efficiently and sustainably. For more information, visit https://elevatenpswpa.org/
ABOUT STAUNTON FARM FOUNDATION
The Staunton Farm Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people who live with mental illness and substance use disorders. The Foundation works to enhance behavioral health treatment, support, and recovery through grant making to nonprofit organizations in 10 southwestern Pennsylvania counties (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland). Learn more at https://stauntonfarm.org/