Our Work: Angel Fund
Our Work: Angel Fund
People who face mental health challenges, along with their families, pay a price when it comes to dealing with the stigma of mental health challenges and the emotional roller coaster they often face. There is no “jump rope for depression” or “bake sale for obsessive-compulsive disorder.”
Families with mental health challenges often do not receive neighborhood or community financial support to help offset the extra costs associated with treatment, such as out-of-pocket costs for treatment, travel and lodging associated with treatment, lost productivity, or periods of unemployment.
Thankfully, with your support, the Foundation’s Angel Fund can help. Clinical teams at all Rogers’ programs throughout the country may apply for support through the Angel Fund when they see an individual or family is struggling financially during treatment.
How the Angel Fund makes a difference
Hotels – The Foundation receives requests for hotel stays quite frequently, often averaging about three per month. The number of days per stay can range anywhere from one to 30 or more.
Many times, parents who are either bringing a child to treatment or picking their child up upon discharge may only request a room for a single night. A slightly longer stay may be needed for a recently discharged patient who is waiting to get into a sober living house.
Finally, if an individual is homeless or the daily commute makes access to care almost impossible, requests for 30+ days are made to cover the duration of the treatment process.
Laptops – Within the first four months from when the pandemic hit in March of 2020, the Foundation had loaned over 60 laptops to patients who would otherwise not have been able to start or stay in our care during the transition from face-to-face to telehealth treatment. At the time when Rogers’ regional clinics were going virtual, it became clear that technology was going to be an issue for many people. While many treatment programs are back to face-to-face care, we still hand out laptops to individuals under special circumstances or to those who need to quarantine at home.
Living expenses – One of the biggest requests we receive from the treatment teams is to help patients with everyday items, so they can get through their day with less worry and make it easier to concentrate on treatment. These requests can be for anything from giving someone a gift card for groceries or other personal items to paying a utility bill, so electricity is not cut off.
Rent/sober living housing – Along with hotel stays, the Foundation also receives two to three requests per month for assistance with rent or costs associated with sober living facilities. These requests are often made to help the individuals alleviate the worry about where they are going to live while in treatment or when seeking additional help or another level of care.
Requests from clinics and treatment teams – Rogers’ treatment teams will also reach out to the Foundation for requests that benefit their overall programs. These requests can be as simple as new stuffed animals for the children on the inpatient unit or musical instruments for teens in one of our residential programs. Art supplies and games are also in high demand.
Travel expenses – The Foundation frequently receives requests for help with travel expenses. This includes airline, train, and bus tickets to help patients return home after treatment. We also help patients’ families with travel arrangements so they may come to visit their loved one while in treatment or take part in a family therapy session.
Learn more about mental health and addiction challenges and the work of Rogers Behavioral Health Foundation on our YouTube channel.
Research. Awareness. Education. Activism. Encouragement. Hope. You have the power to save lives! By standing up in the fight against mental health and addiction challenges, you are telling the world that there is no place in this world for stigma. There is hope. By donating your time and resources, you are telling those in need that you support them. They are not alone. Together, we can make a difference!
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Rogers Behavioral Health Foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the legal name of Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Our tax identification number is 39-1363507.
