Healthcare District Board awards $1 million in grants to support mental health services for Coachella Valley youth & families
Five nonprofit organizations will receive grants from the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation to fund mental and behavioral health services and programs for Coachella Valley youths and their families.
On Dec. 16, the District & Foundation Board approved more than $1 million in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) titled, "Empowering Resilient Youth and Families: Advancing Mental and Behavioral Health Support." Launched on Aug. 18, the RFP garnered significant interest in awards of up to $250,000 over two years.
Of the 19 proposals that were considered, the following were awarded grants totaling $1,039,139:
Olive Crest: Prevention and Restoration of Minors Involved in Sexual Exploitation – Crisis Response Team — $249,865. The nonprofit aligns with the RFP by providing a 24/7 crisis response, trauma-informed mental health services, and safe placements for minors experiencing or at risk of sexual exploitation. The funds will be used to support key Crisis Response Team staff who deliver coordinated case management and therapeutic services, improving safety, stability, and long-term outcomes for vulnerable youth and families.
Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City: Roots of Resilience – Cultivating Strength, Connection, and Emotional Well-being for Youth and Families — $140,732. Funding will support partial salaries for five key staff positions, on-site clinical counseling through a sub-contract with Jewish Family Services of the Desert, trauma-informed training, and essential program infrastructure — including curriculum, supplies, incentives, case-management tools, and bilingual materials — to ensure coordinated, culturally responsive, and sustainable care.
El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center: Raices de Resiliencia: Community Health Workers Supporting Youth and Families in the Coachella Valley — $248,565. The grant will be used to support key community health worker and multidisciplinary team positions —including a project coordinator, youth community health workers, data analyst, program director, and director of operations — along with a behavioral health consultant, printing, and mileage, enabling sustained engagement and improved access to care.
Oak Grove Institute Foundation: Unlocking the Future: Mental Health for Transitional Aged Youth — $248,055. Funding will support a case manager, up to 600 sessions with a consultant mental health therapist, and essential well-being resources, enabling coordinated, trauma-informed care for Coachella Valley foster youth.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert: Mentoring and Education for Mental Well-Being — $151,922. This award will support key program staff and essential training and materials, enabling the nonprofit to provide trauma-informed training, community workshops, peer-to-peer groups, and 4,800 case management and navigation check-ins during the two-year project.
In addition to the RFP grants, the District & Foundation Board awarded two other unrelated grants:
Desert Cancer Foundation — $326,000. The funds will help cover core patient support expenses for individuals at or below 350 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, many of whom also face barriers related to language, transportation, and immigration status. Specifically, $236,000 of the request will be used for the patient assistance program and the remaining requested funds will support the partial salaries of the executive director, patient assistance coordinator, and the operations manager during a two-year grant term.
Vision To Learn — $200,000. Funding will provide no-cost vision screenings, exams, and glasses for underserved communities in the Coachella Valley, Desert Sands and Palm Spring Unified School Districts by supporting general supplies, printing, mailing, and clinic operations, as well as partial salaries for four key positions: optician, medicaid reimbursement staff member, program manager, and director of operations. Additionally, the grant will fund consulting services provided by the contracted optometrist.
With these two awards, the grants funded by the District & Foundation Board in December total $1,565,139.
"In many ways 2025 has been a rewarding year for the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation," CEO Chris Christensen said. "It is especially gratifying for the Board and staff to respond to the Coachella Valley's needs through our grants program, whether we're funding essential mental and behavioral health services or supporting the staffing and programmatic needs of a great organization like the Desert Cancer Foundation."
Interested in applying for a Desert Healthcare District & Foundation grant in 2026? Learn more about the grants program at dhcd.org.
About the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation
The Desert Healthcare District is a local government agency formed in 1948. Its mission is to achieve optimal health at all stages of life for all District residents. The District includes more than 400,000 residents and encompasses the entire Coachella Valley. The District and Desert Healthcare Foundation, together, are one of the largest funders in the valley. These funds are used to assist residents — especially the underserved — in accessing vitally needed resources, such as primary and behavioral healthcare. Learn more.