JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [Oct. 23, 2025] – In conjunction with National Depression Awareness Month in October, Florida Blue Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue and part of the GuideWell family of companies, is continuing to advance mental well-being efforts in Florida by investing $2.75 million in eight community-based programs. These initiatives will address critical mental health needs and help grow the pipeline of mental health professionals throughout the state.
By the numbers: Florida ranks 35th among all states for prevalence of mental illness and has a severe shortage of mental health providers, leaving 6 million people in communities with inadequate access to mental health care.
What they’re saying:
“At Florida Blue and across the GuideWell family of companies, we believe that health starts in our communities — in the connections we build, the support we offer, and the hope we inspire. Mental well-being is at the heart of a healthy life, yet too many Floridians face barriers to getting the help they need,” said Brian Pieninck, president and CEO of GuideWell and Florida Blue. “By partnering with community organizations that know their neighborhoods best, we’re investing not only in programs, but in people — in their strength, their resilience, and their future. Together, we can create lasting change that helps people thrive.”
The 2025 mental well-being grants support the following programs:
Increasing the Pipeline of Mental Health Professionals
- Agape Community Health Center (Duval County) – The Mental Health Pipeline program will provide up to 500 internships and fellowships to students and early-career professionals, addressing the mental health workforce shortage and equipping participants with the skills and knowledge needed to provide high-quality care, ultimately increasing access to mental health services for underserved populations in Jacksonville.
- Children’s Home Society of Florida – Orlando (Orange County) – The ECHO: Emerging Counselors Helping Others program will empower the next generation of mental health professionals by providing supervised clinical practice, training, and support to master’s level students and registered interns, aiming to increase the number of counselors by 100 statewide and address the shortage of mental health professionals in vulnerable communities.
- Elizabeth H. Faulk Foundation, Inc. (Palm Beach County) – The Building the Bench: Training the Next Generation of Mental Health Professionals program will provide training and hands-on experience to more than 100 student clinicians-in-training, while also offering low/no-cost mental health services to economically disadvantaged and underserved populations, through a range of programs including internships, practicum positions, and volunteer opportunities.
Addressing Community Mental Health Challenges
- Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation (Escambia County) – The Sacred Support program will embed a licensed mental health therapist within Studer Family Children’s Hospital to provide immediate mental health support to over 38,000 individuals, serving 10 rural Florida counties with high poverty rates and geographic isolation. The program will offer comprehensive mental health care, including individual, family, and group therapy sessions, as well as parenting support and family therapy.
- Be Strong International, Inc. (Miami-Dade, and Broward counties) – The Social Yaks program is a comprehensive initiative that aims to promote mental well-being and reduce social isolation and loneliness among adolescents and senior adults in Miami-Dade and Broward counties through a card game, training program, and community awareness events. The program will be implemented in partnership with local schools and community-based organizations.
- Camaraderie Foundation, Inc. (Orange County) – The Counseling Services for Military Service Members, Veterans and their Families program provides comprehensive support services, including case management and counseling, to 200 participants to address mental health challenges and promote overall well-being and reintegration into civilian life. Services will be offered in-person and virtually to accommodate the needs of military families.
- Gentlemen’s Quest of Tampa, Inc. (Hillsborough County) – The Life Class program empowers students to reach their academic potential, make positive choices, and develop essential life skills for future success, with a proven track record of 100% of high school graduates pursuing higher education, vocational training, or entering the military since 2014.
- The Florida Center for Early Childhood, Inc. (Sarasota County) – The Early Childhood Mental Health Infrastructure in Rural Communities program will provide trauma-informed care to more than 200 families with young children at risk of long-term mental health challenges, building on existing community initiatives and leveraging AI technology to enhance service delivery, tracking, and evaluation.
“By supporting programs that foster mental well-being across the lifespan – from children and teens to adults and seniors – and by helping to increase the pipeline of mental health professionals, we aim to create a ripple effect of hope and healing that will be felt for generations to come,” said Susan Towler, executive director of Florida Blue Foundation. “Our goal is to help mitigate the stressors that can impact entire families and communities, and to ensure that everyone across the state, regardless of their background or circumstances, has the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilling life.”
The big picture: These latest investments build upon the Florida Blue Foundation’s multi-year initiative around fostering mental well-being solutions. In the last six years, the Foundation has awarded 69 grants, totaling $22 million to organizations to advance mental well-being.
To learn more about the Florida Blue Foundation’s impact across the state, read GuideWell’s latest Impact Report.
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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 www.FloridaBlueFoundation.com.
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 8,000 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 www.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.
