Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation Awards Behavioral Health Support to Youth First Inc.

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On June 18, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation presented $78,574 to Youth First, Inc. The grant provided HIPAA-compliant Zoom licenses and certification training in telehealth for Youth First’s mental health professionals.  

Youth First partners with 92 schools across 11 Indiana counties. Youth First Social Workers follow behavioral health best practices to proactively meet with individual students, facilitate small groups, and present to classrooms and large groups as well as consult with parents, teachers, and other community agencies. They are easily accessed by any enrolled student, and services are always free of charge. When school buildings closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, this low-barrier access to crucial mental health support was threatened.  

Thanks to the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation grant, Youth First has now equipped its clinical team with HIPAA-compliant telehealth tools and training to continue their critical work. Through this funding, their proven model of building life skills for mental health resilience and brokering community resources to meet basic needs can continue, if and when school buildings are closed, or students or staff are quarantined or ill. These telehealth tools allowed Youth First’s services and programs to be delivered uninterrupted this past school year, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. These virtual platforms will continue to be used in situations where services can’t be delivered in person.  

“The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation is proud to work with community partners like Youth First to overcome barriers to accessing mental and behavioral health services for our local youth,” said Dr. Kimberly Roop, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Medicaid Plan President in Indiana. “We continue to support telehealth as an important part of a whole-health approach to care, connecting people with mental health services in the way that is most convenient for them.” 

“Though COVID-19 severely disrupted our lives, it also sparked improvements in the way Youth First serves schools, students, and families,” said Parri O. Black, President & CEO of Youth First. “This investment from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation ensures Youth First can provide high-quality remote support for thousands of young people whenever it is needed.” 

In Indiana, data from the State of the Nation’s Mental Health report shows significantly fewer mental health diagnoses last year, particularly among children and adolescents, compared to 2019.  

  • 10 percent overall drop for young children 
  • 5 percent overall drop for adolescents  
  • 13 percent drop for young children diagnosed with ADHD 
  • 9 percent drop for adolescents diagnosed with ADHD 

These findings are part of a report based on Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield claims from 1.8 million Hoosiers. 

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GPC Awards Youth First, Inc. $15,000 to Support Daviess, Martin and Pike County Students and Families

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Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) has made a $15,000 donation to Youth First, Inc. This is the third significant donation GPC has made to Youth First since 2017.  With this support Youth First is able to continue their mission to strengthen students and their families in Daviess, Martin and Pike counties.  GPC is a subsidiary company of Kent Corporation, headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa.


Youth First brings family programs to communities and partners with schools to embed Master’s level social workers in the building, where they are an essential part of the school community, serving as mentors for students and prevention coaches for parents and teachers. This service is available to any student enrolled at one of 92 partner schools across 11 Indiana counties. Youth First Social Workers build caring relationships with students, foster readiness for positive change, and boost resiliency to face life’s challenges.

Research shows that building these protective factors in young people reduces risk factors and is essential to preventing addiction, violence, suicide, and similar tragic outcomes. Over 10 years of Youth First data demonstrate that this prevention model benefits the whole community,  empowering the next generation of employees with the social and emotional skills they need to work or continue their education, and ultimately thrive.

“Youth First Social Workers are in nearly all of the area schools where GPC employees’ children or grandchildren attend,” said John Dudenhoeffer, Plant Manager. “This donation is one way that we can help support our employees and their families and the many challenges that kids face today.”

To learn more about Youth First services and programs or to make a donation, visit youthfirstinc.org.

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Alcoa Foundation Awards $30,000 to Youth First, Inc.

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In a presentation on March 5, Alcoa Foundation awarded $30,000 to Youth First, Inc. to support school-based social work programs and services that strengthen the social and emotional well-being for thousands of Warrick County students.

Youth First partners with school districts across Indiana to embed social workers in school buildings, where they become specialized mentors for students and prevention coaches for parents and teachers. Youth First Social Workers build caring relationships, foster readiness for positive change, and boost resiliency along with equipping students with valuable life skills. Their presence also contributes to a healthier and safer school environment.

Research shows these protective factors are the keys to reducing and preventing anxiety, depression, addiction, suicide, violence, and similar obstacles for young people. The organization’s positive outcomes and tremendous impact are driving growth, with more schools seeking a partnership with Youth First to address the growing social and emotional needs of students.

Brad Marrs, Alcoa Warrick Site Manager, stated: “Youth First is a crucial program for our Warrick County students. Alcoa Foundation is proud to support Youth First for many years now. With the pandemic and life being anything but normal, to restore normalcy in the lives of some of these children is very important.”

“The Alcoa Foundation has a mission similar to Youth First’s mission, which is prioritizing local needs and addressing them in a sustainable manner. Together, Alcoa and Youth First are helping youth and families face life’s current challenges and emerge with resilient mindsets and real hope for the future. We are grateful to the Alcoa Foundation for this grant that allows Youth First to sustain critical mental health supports for Warrick County kids,” says Youth First Vice President of Philanthropy Julie Hoon.

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7 Sisters Supports Youth First, Inc. for Growth at Holy Rosary Catholic School

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Youth First, Inc. is celebrating a $5,000 donation from 7 Sisters to strengthen the social and emotional well-being of students at Holy Rosary Catholic School.

The generous gift from 7 Sisters was presented to Youth First to support Walking for Dreams 2020, a family walk that helps local non-profit organizations raise much-needed funds. Youth First set a goal of raising $15,000 with Walking for Dreams to ensure Holy Rosary had access to a full-time Youth First Social Worker. The school has had a part-time Youth First Social Worker since 2005, and Holy Rosary principal Joan Fredrich was eager to expand to full-time service. The campaign was successful, thanks in large part to the 7 Sisters donation, along with support from the school, numerous Holy Rosary families and Youth First supporters.

Youth First’s school-based social work services and community programs are more critical than ever. Youth First Social Workers are embedded in school buildings to adapt and maintain vital connections with students and families. As the pandemic has continued, Youth First’s mental health professionals are utilizing confidential phone lines and virtual platforms to provide ongoing support whether or not school buildings are open.

The members of 7 Sisters value the professional mental health services provided by Youth First. One of the sisters, Casey Blake, says: “We are happy to be a part of this and excited to have a full-time Youth First Social Worker at Holy Rosary to support families and kids that are dealing with any mental health issues and stressors in their lives.”

7 Sisters is an Evansville-area nonprofit organization that brings awareness to the community through education and informative opportunities to eliminate the stigma of addiction and advocate for recovery options.

Members of the community are invited to participate with Youth First in Walking for Dreams 2021, which will take place on Sunday, May 23rd at the Tropicana Evansville Events Plaza along the riverfront. With a campaign goal of $30,000 this year, Youth First has already secured $2,000 in donations. Donations for Walking for Dreams can be made on Youth First’s website with the designation “Walking for Dreams.”

To learn more about Youth First services and programs or to make a donation to Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org. To learn more about 7 Sisters, visit the organization’s Facebook page. To learn more about Walking for Dreams, visit walkingfordreams.org.

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United Way of Daviess County Grants Relief Funds to Youth First, Inc.

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The second semester of the 2020-2021 school year is underway, and relief funds from the United Way of Daviess County are helping Youth First, Inc. strengthen the social and emotional well-being of students in Daviess County.

In 2020, United Way of Daviess County awarded Youth First with a $1,000 Covid-19 Relief Fund grant to support the organization’s school-based social work services, allowing five Youth First Social Workers to adapt and maintain vital connections with students and families. As the pandemic has continued, Youth First’s mental health professionals are utilizing confidential phone lines and virtual platforms to provide ongoing support whether or not school buildings are open. Thanks to United Way of Daviess County jumping in to offer crisis funding, the relied-on service that Youth First provides to students has been able to continue uninterrupted. 

Youth First partners with Washington, Barr-Reeve, and North Daviess Community Schools, as well as Washington Catholic Schools. Over 3,600 Daviess County students have access to Youth First’s programs and services.

To learn more about Youth First services and programs or to make a donation to Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org/daviess.

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