NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) — Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH) has awarded $100,000 in Community Health Impact Funds (CHIF) to Safe Passage, a Hampshire County agency dedicated to supporting youth mental health and preventing domestic violence.
The grant will support Safe Passage’s “Youth Engaged and Prevention of Domestic Violence Proposal,” a program developed over the past two years aimed at enhancing mental health services for young people in the Northampton area. CDH, part of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, partnered with the United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region to fund the initiative and bolster its impact on local youth.
“This initiative not only supports the mental health of young individuals but also works to break the cycle of domestic violence, empowering youth in the communities we serve to lead healthier, more resilient lives,” said Dr. Elsie Taveras, Chief Community Health and Health Equity Officer at Mass General Brigham.
The funding is part of CDH’s broader expansion of its Emergency Department, which allowed for the CHIF investment to be allocated to Safe Passage. CDH’s Community Advisory Board played a key role in overseeing the allocation process, ensuring that the hospital’s patients would benefit from enhanced care as part of this initiative.
Safe Passage Executive Director Marianne Winters emphasized the importance of collaboration with community agencies in addressing the challenges youth face in a supportive environment.
“This funding will enable us to further our mission of creating safer, stronger communities by addressing the root causes of violence and promoting mental health and wellbeing among youth,” said Winters. “Our ‘Say Something: Youth Initiative’ program has shown us that youth want to be involved in shaping their own safe relationships, and we are honored to help facilitate those conversations and support the positive changes that follow.”
