Give an Hour Receives $1.6 Million from United Health Foundation to Support Mental Health Care for Military Service Members

Give an Hour was awarded a $1.6 million grant from United Health Foundation to expand its mental health care system in Tacoma, Wash., and Houston, Texas.

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United Health Foundation donates $1.6 million to Give an Hour in Tacoma, Wash., for military and veterans mental health services. Left to right: Washington Dept. of Veterans Affairs Sec. Lourdes "Alfie" Alvarado-Ramos; Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran Aaron Boyle; UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans President Dr. John Mateczun; Vietnam Veteran Jim Martinson; Washington Dept. of Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler; and Give an Hour President Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen (Photo: Suzi Pratt).

The grant is part of United Health Foundation’s “Helping Build Healthier Communities” program that provides critical resources to nonprofit, community-based organizations across the country to improve people’s health.

The donation will help Give an Hour raise awareness of agencies and organizations that provide culturally competent counseling to service members, veterans and their loved ones; grow its mental health care provider network; and help military families access the resources and services they need by creating a comprehensive mental health resource list and addressing barriers to treatment, such as money, stigma and transportation, in collaboration with other organizations.

“We are honored to be able to partner with Give an Hour to help expand its services and ensure our nation’s heroes have access to the health care services they need and deserve,” said John Mateczun, president, UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company.

“No single organization can provide all of the care that our service members and their families need and deserve. And one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to addressing the invisible wounds of war such as post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. Through this generous grant from United Health Foundation, Give an Hour will work with our partners in Tacoma to expand services and, most importantly, coordinate care for our military and veteran families. Together we will ensure that they are aware of and have access to appropriate and effective support and mental health care. We are proud to work with United Health Foundation on this critical project,” said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour.

United Health Foundation awarded the grant during a service day project at the American Lake Golf Course in Tacoma. Dozens of volunteers from Give an Hour, UnitedHealthcare and Optum spent the day working alongside a RallyPoint/6 Community Support Team to perform maintenance and landscaping on the golf course that was built specifically for veterans who were wounded or have a disability. RallyPoint/6 helps to organize community members to serve as volunteers on projects aimed at benefiting service members. Today’s project will be the start of transforming American Lake Golf Course into a true regulation 18-hole course.

“Veterans made national defense a personal responsibility and want to continue serving their communities,” said RP/6 Director of Programs Tony Belot. “RP/6 is excited to welcome Give an Hour, United Health Foundation and UnitedHealthcare to roll-up their sleeves alongside us on service projects that place veterans front and center.”

Give an Hour will target the Tacoma region in order to recruit more licensed mental health professionals to offer free counseling to the military and veteran population. Mental health professionals interested in joining the Give an Hour network can complete an easy online application form at www.giveanhour.org. People in need of services may also visit this website and use the provider search tab to locate a mental health professional in their area.

About Give an Hour
Give an Hour a nonprofit 501(c)(3) providing free mental health services to military members, veterans, and their families, was founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area. Give an Hour has been instrumental in the development of the community-based approach to address the challenges that face our nation's military community, having created a successful model for harnessing skill-based volunteers eager to offer their services. Thus far, the network of nearly 7,000 licensed mental health professionals have provided more than 163,000 hours of care and support to those in need. Give an Hour is now leading the Campaign to Change Direction, a collective impact effort developed to change the culture of mental health in America. Give an Hour and its partners will address common barriers to understanding mental health and raise awareness about the signs of emotional suffering. To learn more, visit www.giveanhour.org or connected.giveanhour.org. To learn more about the Campaign to Change Direction, visit www.changedirection.org.

About United Health Foundation
Through collaboration with community partners, grants and outreach efforts, United Health Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local communities. United Health Foundation was established by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date, United Health Foundation has committed more than $285 million to programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn more at www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.

RallyPoint/6
RallyPoint/6 (RP/6) is a 501©3 nonprofit serving transitioning service members, veterans and their families with a pathway to targeted resources and bridges the military-civilian gap through shared service in the community. Through collective impact and a non-competitive model, RP/6 and its partners are improving access and the delivery of services to the entire military family. RP/6 recognizes that in the coming decade, military end strength will experience a significant decrease in capacity. The full economic and social impact of our military scaling down requires streamlined coordination of services and tracking of outcomes for those who have served us. To date, RP/6 has served over 2000 service members, veterans, and military family members by connecting them to support services in the following areas: employment, education, veteran’s benefits, housing, family programs, finance, and legal support. For more information please visit www.rp6.org.

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