Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 55 E Jackson Boulevard, Suite 490
City: Chicago
State: IL
Postal Code: 60604
Main Phone: (312) 642-0049
Main Fax: (312) 642-7243
Organization Website: dbsalliance.org
Employer ID Number: 37-3369124
Organization Tax Status: 501c3

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: 1/17/23
Requested Amount: 10,000

Project Title: Parent and Caregiver Curriculum
Project Description:

Our goal for this year is to create a curriculum for parents and caregivers on how to best support their child. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the already growing youth mental health crisis. From March to October 2020, the proportion of emergency room visits for mental health-related concerns increased 24% for children aged 5-11 and 31% among adolescents aged 12-17 compared to the same timeframe in 2019. Many parents and caregivers were at a loss of what to do as many of these mental health symptoms were being experienced for the first time.
The intention is to have an educational curriculum designed for parents and caregivers with the idea that by arming parents with this information, we can help parents feel prepared to manage their child’s crisis, take preventative measures to manage their child’s treatment to reduce hospitalizations, and feel empowered to care for their own mental health and experience decreased feelings of burnout. Our plan for our second year of the curriculum is to partner with providers, so that they can help us understand the efficacy of the program. Parents and caregivers in our community will benefit from psychoeducation that is paired with peer support, creating optimal learning and support for our constituency.
The curriculum aims to answer, “What are the signs and symptoms of a mood disorder?” and “Where should you go to look for help?” These resources alongside promoting self-care for parents and caregivers will help them understand decisions around what should be done for their children’s mental health care. Encouraging parents to be co-decision makers in their child’s mental health journey is also crucial to education. A grant from the the Charles and Joan Hermanowski Family Foundation would support our efforts to create this important curriculum for parents and caregivers.

Total Project Budget: $59,300

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood (Potential)

Project Duration: Indefinite
Geographical Area Served: National
Age Group To Be Served: 18-70+

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Ms
Contact First Name: Sarah
Contact Last Name: Panahi
Contact Title: Foundation and Corporate Relationships Manager
Contact Phone: 312-988-1155
Contact Email: spanahi@dbsalliance.org