Cigna Group Foundation to give $9M in grants to 22 nonprofits to support youth MH.

The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group in Bloomfield, Connecticut, has announced its first round of recipients for a new grant program supporting youth mental health, the Hartford Business Journal reported on Aug. 5. The foundation has allocated $9 million to 22 nonprofits in Connecticut and nine other states over the next three years to intervene in the youth mental health crisis. The Aug. 5 announcement follows one in April in which Cigna outlined plans to invest more than $27 million in grants over the next three years to nonprofit organizations focused on improving youth mental health, veteran mental health, and reducing barriers to health equity. The grant program will address post‐pandemic stress and distress among 5‐ to 18‐year‐olds, with a focus on programs and services delivered in schools and related settings. Some of the 22 organizations planned to receive grants include Mindfulness First in Arizona, McCall Foundation Inc. in Connecticut, Children's Bereavement Center in Florida and Wings for Kids in Georgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]