Florida Blue Foundation awards grants to strengthen mental health support in Florida communities

As October marks National Depression Awareness Month and a renewed focus on mental health, Florida Blue Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue and part of the GuideWell portfolio of companies, is awarding $3.33 million in grants to nine nonprofit organizations to support well-being of communities across Florida. These initiatives will help expand access to mental health resources, strengthen community-based support, and support individuals and families in navigating behavioral health challenges.

Quick facts:

• $3.33 million awarded to nine nonprofit organizations across Florida to expand access to mental health resources and strengthen community-based support.
• Funding supports critical needs in Florida, with grantees serving communities in 21 counties across the state, including Baker, Brevard, Broward, Clay, DeSoto, Duval, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Walton.
• Programs address mental health workforce shortages, support vulnerable populations (homeless individuals, foster youth, veterans), and train peer specialists and recovery professionals to reduce barriers to care.

Mental health is one of the most significant public health challenges facing the United States today-affecting one in five adults nationwide. In Florida, more than 3.5 million people have a mental health condition, while approximately 7.8 million across the state live in a community that lacks enough mental health professionals.¹ Florida Blue Foundation's grant funding helps community-based mental health programs reach more people, reduce barriers to services, and ensure more Floridians have the opportunity to receive support.

"Mental health touches every community, and everyone deserves access to support when they need it," said Susan Towler, vice president, corporate social responsibility and Florida Blue Foundation. "Investing in mental health services helps build a stronger foundation for individuals and families to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives."

The organizations receiving 2026 mental well-being grants are:

• Bridgeway Center, Inc. (Okaloosa & Walton County) - Bridgeway Center offers an internship and clinical training program for graduate students and early-career professionals to address mental health workforce shortages and retention. The organization creates an accessible pathway to enter and remain in the behavioral health field with structured programming, hands-on clinical experience, and financial support.
• Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Inc. (Broward County) - Broward Partnership's behavior health program delivers trauma-responsive mental health and psychiatric services directly within shelters in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach. Through counseling, medication management, and therapy, this program helps stabilize approximately 400 adults and seniors experiencing homelessness and untreated mental health conditions.
• Center for Children's Rights (CCR) (Clay, Duval & Nassau County) - CCR trains young adults with lived experience in mental health challenges as Peer Conflict Specialists and Certified Peer Support Specialists allowing them to share their own experiences and deliver prevention-focused mental health support in schools, healthcare settings, and juvenile justice systems.
• Heart Gallery of Tampa, Inc. (Hillsborough County) - Heart Gallery of Tampa connects youth in foster care or ready for adoption to permanent families through professional photography, family matching, and trauma-informed mental health support. In addition to helping reduce the adoption timeline for teenagers, sibling groups, and children with special needs, the organization hosts memorable celebrations and experiences for youth and families.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Jacksonville (Baker, Brevard, Clay, DeSoto, Duval, Manatee, Nassau, Orange, Sarasota, and Seminole County) - NAMI Jacksonville builds a sustainable pipeline of Certified Recovery Peer Specialists through training and mentorship, addressing behavioral health workforce shortages. The organization also empowers individuals with lived experience to advance recovery-oriented care by helping them build their career, strengthen recovery, and improve financial stability.
• RISE Community Solutions, Inc. (Osceola County) - RISE Community Solutions connects youth and their families with Family Support Navigators-caregivers with lived experience who are trained as Certified Recovery Specialists. These specialists provide health support and system navigation, which helps prevent crisis escalation and builds resilience through empathy and shared experience.
• Roundtable of St. Lucie County, Inc. (St. Lucie County) - Roundtable of St. Lucie County will create a workforce program that engages clinical and nonclinical professionals, including educators, health workers, faith leaders, and peer organizations, in trauma-informed training and support. This approach improves mental health care for young people and families, prevents staff burnout, and makes mental health services easier to access.
• Vincentian CARES, Inc. (DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee County) - Vincentian CARES identifies and supports at-risk veterans in underserved rural Florida counties, connecting them to trauma-informed care, suicide prevention resources, and coordinated services. Through rapid assessment, safety planning, and personalized care navigation, the organization connects veterans to critical services that improve mental health, social support, and well-being.
• United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida (UCP) (Orange, Osceola & Seminole County) - The Therapy Team Wellness Program at UCP addresses burnout among therapy professionals through recognition programs, wellness meetings, and therapy dog events. This helps to strengthen staff retention to ultimately improve outcomes for the children with developmental disabilities this organization serves.

To learn more about Florida Blue Foundation's impact across the state, read GuideWell's latest Impact Report.

About Florida Blue Foundation

Florida Blue Foundation enables healthy communities by making grants, building coalitions, and embracing solutions that create a meaningful impact in communities across the state. An average of 10 million Floridians receive services each year as a result of its community investments. Founded in 2001, Florida Blue Foundation is committed to improving health by impacting food security, advancing mental well-being, growing healthy communities, and addressing health disparities. Florida Blue Foundation is a trade name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit FloridaBlue.com/Foundation.

About Florida Blue

Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, Florida Blue is the leading health insurer in Florida, and part of GuideWell, a not-for-profit health solutions company. Florida Blue offers a range of health plans and personalized care programs for individuals, families, businesses of all sizes, and Medicare beneficiaries. For over 80 years, the organization has been member centric and committed to making health care as accessible and affordable as possible. Serving more than six million members across all 67 Florida counties, Florida Blue has more than 7,000 employees and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., is owned by its policyholders, and is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

For additional information visit FloridaBlue.com. For the latest news and content, visit the Florida Blue Newsroom, and follow Florida Blue on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @Florida.Blue; and X (formerly Twitter) @FLBlue.