The Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center has announced that it has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Chaney Impact Fund a Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC). This grant will support the cost of an on-site clinical staff member who will manage behavioral health and substance abuse diagnosis, treatment, and referral for Light House clients. This new clinical staff position will enable Light House programs to reduce the harms associated with substance abuse and mental health issues for people impacted by homelessness or poverty.
To celebrate this grant award, representatives from the Chaney Impact Fund and CFAAC visited The Light House to take a tour of the facility and present Light House Director of Development, Jenny Crawford, with the grant check. “The need for this clinical staff position is great,” stated Crawford. “Approximately 60% of our Light House clients have a diagnosed substance use disorder and an estimated 80% have an undiagnosed mental health disorder. CFAAC’s most recent community needs assessment Poverty Amidst Plenty VI: On the Road to Progress For All, recently documented a 70% rise in behavioral health issues in our county since 2012. In-house clinical support will help our clients tackle the mental health and substance abuse issues that prevent them from moving out of crisis to stabilization and eventually to self-sufficiency. We are truly grateful to the Chaney Impact Fund for enabling us to meet this growing need.”
