TOWNSHEND, Vt. – Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital has been awarded second place in the Red Sox IMPACT 2023 Awards competition.
The IMPACT Awards, presented by the Red Sox Foundation and the Ruderman Family Foundation, support organizations raising awareness and improving outcomes surrounding mental health.
In its award announcement, Red Sox Foundation development and partnerships manager Matt McCarthy congratulated Grace Cottage, saying, “The work you all undertake on a daily basis is incredible.”
Grace Cottage will use its $3,000 IMPACT award to expand the safety net of mental health services that it provides in its primary care clinic, Suboxone clinic, and emergency department.
“Grace Cottage works hard to integrate mental health care with primary care. Our 13 medical providers work side-by-side with our mental health care providers, so that when a primary care provider sees a patient for physical issues and determines that mental health is also impacted, arrangements can be made quickly for the patient to see a Grace Cottage mental health provider. Mental health is as important as physical health, and a variety of issues can be treated in our clinic,” says Grace Cottage CEO Doug DiVello.
Access to mental health care can be a big hurdle for patients. Grace Cottage’s mental health providers help with a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, social isolation, and stress. The primary care clinic includes a Suboxone clinic, which helps patients from a wide geographic area, combining behavioral therapy and medication to treat opioid addiction. Grace Cottage is also treating an increasing number of mental health patients in its emergency department.
The IMPACT Awards give Red Sox fans the opportunity to nominate their favorite nonprofits to receive support and funding.
Funded with a $125,000 grant from the Ruderman Family Foundation, the Red Sox Impact awards provide the winning nonprofits with either a first-place $10,000 grant, second-place $3,000 grant, or a third-place $2,000 grant. Eligible organizations with the most online votes from fans are the designated winners, with three nonprofit winners selected from each New England state.