As San Diego County's only local nonprofit, independent healthcare foundation, Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF) provides a public voice for the critical healthcare needs of our communities. Mental Health is one of our three funding areas; the others are Access to Healthcare and Community Health.

While much remains to be learned about mental illness, it is believed to be triggered by social, cultural, environmental or biological factors that produce disruption in an individual’s thoughts, feelings, moods and ability to relate to others. Mental illness affects about 20 percent of the U.S. population and is the leading cause of disability for people of all ages. A substantial proportion of the mentally ill are intermittently or chronically disabled.

Mental Health grants to local organizations support a wide range of programs and services. Priority is given to program and financing strategies that can produce discernable outcomes. Recent grants have funded:

• case management and mental health services for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals
• operating costs for mental health and healthcare services to homeless women
• the salary of an executive director who will recruit and train a 20-volunteer staff, to increase mental and emotional health services to victims of trauma
• the salary of a mental health clinical supervisor to integrate mental health services into drug treatment and recovery services

To apply for a Mental Health grant, please click here.