East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Asks Community to Support the Mental Health Initiative Fund to Help Combat Crisis

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Children’s Hospital is holding a campaign to raise money to provide more behavioral and mental health support to the children in our community.

Each year, the hospital sees an increased need for mental health support, especially during specific times of the year when children face stressors like testing, graduation, prom and more. During these months, visits and services increased by 73% month-to-month. The Mental Health Initiative Fund is designed to support current initiatives and needs at children’s hospital as well as help enhance education, assessment tools, programs and access.

Over the last year, ETCH has invested in its behavioral and mental health support in many ways, including hiring a director to take the lead on all behavioral health initiatives, expanding the social work team and actively placing behavioral health consultants at primary care offices, beginning at Oak Ridge Pediatrics this year. All donations will help further expand the mental health program across the hospital’s healthcare system and offer faster, more accessible care for children and families.

Visit etch.com/ways-to-give/mental-health-initiative-fund/ to donate to the Mental Health Initiative Fund and support the care the hospital is providing every day.