Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Arizona Grants $565,000 To Local Community Organizations To Help Address Substance Use Disorder

PHOENIX, April 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona's (BCBSAZ) Mobilize AZ initiative announces grant awards to seven Arizona community organizations providing programs and services focused on substance use disorder. Grants are awarded for projects address substance use disorder and at least one of three complicating factors: COVID-19, social determinants of health, and/or co-occurring mental health conditions.

Between 2017 and 2021, Arizona has seen an estimated 65,982 opioid overdoses resulting in 9,053 deaths. In an effort to help reduce these numbers, BCBSAZ's Mobilize AZ is committed to investing in local organizations that build and deliver prevention programs and offer treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder and mental health conditions.

"We've seen over the past year that when we work together, we can accomplish great things, and we hope that these grants will bring us one step closer to a healthier Arizona," said Pam Kehaly, President and Chief Executive Offer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.

BCBSAZ is honored to announce this year's Mobilize AZ grantees and how each one will use the grant award to enhance their efforts:

• Human Services Campus, Inc. - Implement Multi-Disciplinary Street Outreach Program to address substance use disorder and social determinants of health by engaging with unsheltered individuals.
• Live & Learn - Expand the Women Building Resiliency program to assist women referred from sober-living facilities to retain employment, learn to access and navigate community resources including healthcare, gain a healthy social support system, and develop financial literacy.
• Maggie's Place - Develop and expand evidence-based interventions designed to treat substance use disorder and address social determinants of health for moms and pregnant women.
• Native Health - Reduce the impact of behavioral health conditions while fostering culturally responsive models to lessen the effect of disparities in urban American Indians/Alaskan Natives.
• Southwest Human Development - Bridge gaps in services for families transitioning home from the NICU with babies who are born substance exposed, have Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), and who are in crisis at the time of birth.
• US VETS – Prescott - Provide safe and effective care for veterans over 55 who are experiencing increased substance misuse, depression, and other issues due to the social isolation caused by COVID-19 restrictions.
• Youth4Youth - Implement school-based prevention programming and establish a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Coalition in Peoria.

To learn more about BCBSAZ's Mobilize AZ initiative and its efforts, visit: https://www.mobilizeaz.com/

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a focus on connecting people with the care they need, BCBSAZ offers health insurance and related services to more than 1.9 million customers. Through advanced clinical programs and community outreach, BCBSAZ is inspiring health in Arizona. BCBSAZ, a not-for-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company, and its subsidiaries, employ more than 2,600 people in its Phoenix, Chandler, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

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