01 Nov Oppenstein Brothers Foundation Awards $20,000 Grant to KidsTLC, Inc.

KidsTLC, Inc. recently received a grant for $20,000 from the Oppenstein Brothers Foundation to support their Lotus Behavioral Health Specialty Clinics for Youth (& Families).

Funding from the Oppenstein Brothers Foundation will help support the overall sustainability of the clinic and the vital services it provides to underserved and underinsured families. This funding will assist over 2,000 youth who struggle with anxiety, self-harm/suicidal thoughts, and a myriad of other mental health concerns through over 10,500 encounters. The Lotus Clinic will focus on increasing the availability of anxiety disorder services; support for the LGBTQ+ population; and specialized Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) services while also continuing general outpatient therapy.

Concern for the mental health and well-being of children continues to be an issue on the forefront nationally and locally. Specific target populations of youth with behavioral health concerns need access to quality and affordable specialized care. On a deeper level, societal pressures, social media, bullying, anxiety, navigating sexual orientation/gender identity, dealing with trauma, and increasing thoughts of self-harm continue to put a strain on a generation of vulnerable young people.  Research shows that youth who are accepted/affirmed have higher self-esteem, positive mental health, less depressive and anxious symptoms, and greater life-satisfaction.  For the underserved and underinsured, gaining access to specialized behavioral health services that target their specific needs can be daunting and private practice providers are expensive. There needs to be a safety-net of services available to these families in our community.

Since 1972, KidsTLC has provided a safe, accessible, and healing community for kids and families.  KidsTLC has continued to grow over the past 46 years while maintaining its focus on child welfare and mental health.  The agency has seen tremendous growth and transformation over the years. Today, KidsTLC’s largest program is the 61 bed Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Phoenix Program serving youth ages 6–18 who have been victims of intense traumatic experiences and are diagnosed with one or more mental illnesses. The agency also provides other levels of mental health care through the Lotus Outpatient Clinic, an Intensive Evening Outpatient program, and the Sanctuary, a residential respite program. KidsTLC also operates a highly successful Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Autism Clinic. Programs are accredited through 2021 by the Council on Accreditation (COA).  In addition, KidsTLC recently announced it is the only mental health provider in the world to be fully certified in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP).