Ritter Center Receives $750K Grant to Enhance Recovery and Mental Health Services
Ritter Center has been awarded a generous grant of $750,000 from the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation. This grant will significantly enhance the substance use disorder/mental health treatment and harm reduction programs in Marin County for people experiencing homelessness and individuals with low incomes facing barriers to healthcare access.
The grant will support an array of critical activities aimed at expanding care coordination and launching new harm reduction training programs, specifically targeting underserved local audiences.
“Ritter Center is deeply grateful for the support from Anthem Blue Cross Foundation and looks forward to making a lasting impact on the health and well-being of Marin County’s most vulnerable residents,” said Ritter Center CEO Mark Shotwell. “We believe in the potential of people who have faced challenges to reclaim their health and their lives. We all deserve to be treated with respect regardless of income or housing.”
The Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Association and a philanthropic arm of the Elevance Health Foundation, recently announced the expansion of its substance use disorder grants through an additional $1.6 million in awards to seven California non-profit organizations. The multi-year grants will help those experiencing mental health and substance use disorders focusing on improving access to care, quality of treatment, and youth prevention and early intervention.
Through this latest investment, the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation has awarded more than $3.7 million to SUD programs in California.
“Substance use disorders continue to be a public health challenge that’s taking too big of a toll in our communities across the state and right here in Marin County,” said Anthem Blue Cross Commercial Plan President Beth Andersen. “Along with partners like the Ritter Center, we continue to take a holistic approach and invest in the mental health and wellbeing in our communities, particularly with a focus on helping those individuals who have a substance use disorder in underserved communities.”
Nearly half of Ritter Center’s patients identify as racial or ethnic minorities, and the organization remains dedicated to overcoming systemic barriers and improving access to care. The majority of Ritter Center’s patients live below the poverty line.
With the grant, a new care coordinator will be hired to work with Ritter Center’s medical and behavioral health departments. This role will support screenings, provide warm handoffs to healthcare providers, and assist with appointment scheduling for individuals who screen positive for these conditions. The care coordinator will also support patients in the Medication-Assisted Treatment program and coordinate follow-up care for individuals discharged from local hospitals and emergency departments, ensuring extensive follow-up and support.
A dedicated substance use disorder counselor will conduct weekly harm reduction training sessions across various locations in Marin County.
The program aims to reach 3,617 participants, with 1,105 expected to achieve key health improvements.
