We are thrilled to announce that UCA WAVES has received a three-year, $655,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation to help advance our efforts in supporting youth mental health.

This funding is part of a larger initiative by the Blue Cross NC Foundation, which has committed over $4.5 million in grants to support innovative approaches to youth mental health in North Carolina. With nearly half of high schoolers reporting feelings of hopelessness, it’s more important than ever to ensure our youth have the support they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Our program will focus on providing Youth Mental Health First Aid, suicide prevention training, and outreach programs for youth, caregivers, and trusted adults. We’re committed to improving access to mental health resources, training youth service members and veterans, develop educational materials for youth storytelling, host youth mental health conferences, and promote AI-powered emotional support applications.

Thank you to the Blue Cross NC Foundation for their support, and we look forward to the impact this grant will have on our community!