Flagler Health + Care Connect Awards Innovators Micro Grants, Announces Expansion in Flagler County

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – February 25, 2021 – To kick-off their expansion into Flagler County, Flagler Health +Care Connect awarded Innovators Micro Grants to four Flagler County non-profit organizations for the purpose of supporting new or existing programs that positively impact persons experiencing homelessness, hunger, behavioral health issues, financial instability, affected by COVID-19, lack of access to affordable housing, transportation, medication or health care in Flagler County.

Flagler Health + Care Connect is a social health organization, developed by Flagler Health+, that connects area residents with a single access point to services that address social determinants of health in a coordinated way across communities.

The one-time awards of $5,000 were awarded to:

• Early Learning Coalition of Flagler & Volusia Counties for the Safe Baby Program - To assist families with children (prenatal -12 months of age) in providing the safest transportation possible and to increase the quality of parent-child interactions by providing car seats and pack-n-plays with sheets, along with education, at no cost to children of low-income families. The program exists in other counties but the micro grant will allow the program to expand into Flagler County.

• Children’s Home Society of Florida for the Family Transition Program – To help families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic stay financially afloat and continue to work toward family reunification. This multi-faceted community-based program works with vulnerable families in their homes, in the context of their neighborhoods, to help them meet the basic needs of their children and prevent child maltreatment and out-of-home placement.

• George Washington Carver Foundation for the LIGHTSSS Program –To provide materials and equipment needed to implement social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. The L.I.G.H.T.S.S.S program provides strategies and mentoring to students from a low income neighborhood.

• Abundant Life Ministries for the Phoenix Community Mental Health Program – To identify and refer Flagler County residents who are uninsured and under insured to mental health services in Flagler County and to identify partners who are not currently providing Medication Management services in Flagler County and are willing to partner with Phoenix Community Services to increase the number of providers thereby reducing the number of Baker Acts and crisis stabilization episodes. Phoenix Community Services is a multidisciplinary behavioral health care practice that offers behavioral health and substance abuse services to residents of Flagler County.

“The efforts of Flagler Health + Care Connect will provide positive impacts in the lives of our residents. We appreciate the innovative investments Flagler Health + Care Connect is making and their commitment to our community,” said City of Palm Coast Mayor Millissa Holland.

“Our model for addressing social determinants of health has resulted in significant outcomes like increasing access to care, decreasing homelessness and reducing food insecurity,” stated Flagler Health + President and CEO Jason Barrett. “By leveraging the incredible work of local agencies, streamlining access to services and providing navigation services, we expect to see tremendous results for the residents of Flagler County.”

To better serve and coordinate care in Flagler County, Flagler Health + Care Connect will open a new office in Palm Coast on March 1, 2021. The new office will be inside the Flagler Health + St. Johns Specialty Care office located at 50 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite C1, Palm Coast, FL 32137.

To learn more about Flagler Health + Care Connect and its resources, visit careconnectplus.com.

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About Care Connect+

Flagler Health + Care Connect was established by Flagler Health + to link area residents in need with available services and address social determinants of health in a coordinated way throughout Northeast Florida. By aligning community resources into a single access point, Care Connect increases coordination and access of available resources. For more information, visit careconnectplus.com.

About Flagler Health+

Flagler Health + is a total care enterprise aimed at advancing the physical, social and economic health of Northeast Florida communities. From working with area schools to address youth behavioral health to bringing a new concept in health villages throughout the region, UF Health St. Johns is building healthier communities. Flagler Health + is an extension of