The Medica Foundation awarded $400,000 in grants to two Bemidji organizations, as part of a $3 million statewide investment in mental and chemical health.
Bemidji State University and Evergreen Youth and Family Services, Inc. each received $200,000 from the funding pool, which included 15 awards across Minnesota.
“Getting someone the right help means understanding more than a diagnosis. It means understanding the person, their experiences and the community around them,” Medica Foundation Director Pleasant Radford said.
“These two Bemidji programs approach mental health in different ways, but both recognize the importance of meeting people where they are and providing support they can trust,” Medica Foundation Director Pleasant Radford said.
Evergreen Youth and Family Services Targets Housing Instability
A $200,000 grant will help Evergreen Youth and Family Services provide mental health care for youth facing housing instability in northwestern Minnesota. The nonprofit has served northern Minnesota children and families for nearly five decades, offering emergency shelter, food, counseling, and suicide prevention.
Housing pressures remain acute in the region. A housing profile of Beltrami County identified 4,752 households as housing cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing.
“When a young person is worried about where they’re going to sleep or what tomorrow will bring, mental health can’t be separated from everything else happening in their life,” Radford said.
Bemidji State University Pilots Indigenous S.a.F.E. Screening Tool
A separate $200,000 grant to Bemidji State University supports the piloting, validation, and implementation of the Indigenous S.A.F.E. Screening Tool. The tool aims to enhance cultural safety, data sovereignty, and workforce capacity while identifying suicide risks earlier among tribes across Minnesota.
Mark Standing Eagle Baez, an associate professor in Bemidji State University’s clinical and counseling psychology program, developed the screening mechanism. Research shows that American Indian and Alaska Native populations experience disproportionately high suicide rates, particularly among Indigenous youth.
“This work recognizes that trust, culture and lived experience matter when someone is struggling,” Radford said.
Mental Health Crisis Services Expand in Chicago
While the Bemidji grants target rural housing and Indigenous screening, urban centers such as Chicago are also expanding behavioral health access. The Chicago nonprofit Thresholds opened a new space called the Living Room on the city’s South Side near 47th and Halsted, offering an alternative to traditional emergency rooms. The space features a kitchen, fireplace, bedrooms, and a mobile crisis response team.
Separately, city leaders opened a new Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement satellite facility at the Roseland Health Hub. The clinic serves as a hub for teams comprising emergency medical technicians and mental health professionals who respond to 911 mental health crisis calls instead of police officers.
Questions About Medica Foundation Investment and Screening Tools
What is the total statewide investment by the Medica Foundation?
The foundation invested $3 million statewide in mental and chemical health across 15 different awards.
Who developed the Indigenous S.a.F.E. Screening Tool?
Mark Standing Eagle Baez, an associate professor in Bemidji State University’s clinical and counseling psychology program, created the tool.
How many households in Beltrami County face housing cost burdens?
A housing profile identified 4,752 households in the county spending at least 30 percent of their income on housing.
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