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United Health Foundation and Climb Wyoming Announce New $1 Million Partnership to Develop Innovative Social Support Programs

UNH | May 17, 2018

United Health Foundation and Climb Wyoming Announce New $1 Million Partnership to Develop Innovative Social Support Programs

Foundation grant will fund curriculum development in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction, Colo.

Climb Programs include job training and placement, life-skills training and mental health support for single mothers in poverty

The United Health Foundation announced a new three-year, $1 million partnership with Climb Wyoming to support development of an innovative curriculum based on Climb’s nationally recognized model and implement its social support programs in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction, Colo.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180517006113/en/

From left, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY); Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY); Climb graduate; UnitedHealthcare CEO Steve Nelson; Climb graduate; Climb Founder and Executive Director Dr. Ray Fleming Dinneen; and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) attended the announcement of a new partnership with the United Health Foundation and Climb Wyoming (Photo courtesy of the United Health Foundation).

Climb collaborates with local direct service providers to help move single mothers out of poverty by providing social support services such as job training and placement, life skills-based training and mental health support. The Climb program is recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as one of the nation’s Top 10 innovative programs.

The Climb model is evidence-based and proven to be effective through job-training and placement: 85 percent of participants are employed after completing the program, and 74 percent remain employed two years after they complete the program. This partnership with the United Health Foundation provides the first opportunity for Climb to develop a curriculum-based approach to affect outcomes outside Wyoming.

“It is an honor to partner with UnitedHealth Foundation to address the upstream determinants of health for people living in poverty,” said Climb Founder and Executive Director Dr. Ray Fleming Dinneen. “After 30 years of successful outcomes transitioning families from poverty to self-sufficiency, we are ready to share what we have learned and what we know works. We are grateful for United Health Foundation’s partnership and investment to bring our model to more people in need.”

The partnership was announced at a reception on Capitol Hill attended by U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, Sen. Mike Enzi, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, UnitedHealthcare CEO Steve Nelson, Dinneen and Climb graduates.

“For more than 30 years, Climb has helped more than 2,000 Wyoming families and single moms move from poverty to self-sufficiency,” said Sen. Barrasso. “Climb is a great example of a Wyoming solution that works. Wyoming knows more about solving problems than Washington. I am proud to help Climb continue their important work and help more communities learn from their success.”

“We are honored to partner with Climb and help connect more women and families to these critical social support services,” said Nelson. “This partnership will enable us to help families achieve lasting self-sufficiency and to build healthier and stronger communities in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.”

About Climb Wyoming
Celebrating over 30 years of working with single mothers to achieve self-sufficiency, Climb Wyoming is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is for low-income single mothers to discover self-sufficiency through career training and placement. Climb graduates consistently double their monthly income and decrease their reliance on public assistance programs, thanks to a comprehensive program approach that includes job skills training, life skills and mental health services. At Climb, success isn’t just about getting a job - it’s about financial independence for struggling mothers and changing the generational cycle of poverty one family at a time. For more information visit www.climbwyoming.org

About United Health Foundation
Through collaboration with community partners, grants and outreach efforts, the United Health Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local communities. The 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, the United Health Foundation has committed nearly $358 million to programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn more at www.unitedhealthgroup.com/SocialResponsibility.

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