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ASHLAND, Ore — Mental health and wellness programs will be provided to children in the Ashland and Phoenix-Talent school districts for the next three years, thanks to a Children’s Mental Health Fund founded by Ron and Katharine Lang.
Donors Recognize Mental Health Impact of the Pandemic and Almeda Fire on Local Communities
The Langs’ $300,000 fund recognizes the mental health impacts on local communities that the Almeda Fire and the pandemic left in their wake and partnered with the Ashland Community Health Foundation (ACHF), a nonprofit organization that works with donors to provide mental health support in Oregon.
Fund Will Help Future Behavioral Health Providers in Ashland
In Ashland, the fund will help to build a pipeline for future school behavioral health providers. The interns are Southern Oregon University Clinical Mental Health Counseling students or students working with similar online graduate programs. They will work with students and be supervised by a licensed behavioral health therapist.
The Lang Family Children’s Mental Health Fund will be used in Ashland to establish a Peer Leader Program to connect Southern Oregon University students with their counterparts at middle and high schools.
Diane Berry, a School Counselor and Child Development Specialist, says Ashland is experiencing a dramatic increase in mental health challenges among students. The Peer Leader Program will address this issue.
Latino Communities in Phoenix-Talent Will Receive Assistance
In the Phoenix-Talent school district, the funds from the Lang family will go to the Latino Family Outreach program that offers support to migrant families.
Latino students comprise close to 50% of the district population, with many displaced during the 2020 Almeda Fire. Hundreds of people lost their homes, and there are still families within the Latino community who are still without permanent accommodation.
Director of Equity and Community Care at the Phoenix-Talent School District, Kelly Soter, says the outreach program empowers families to advocate for the needs of their children, adding that mental health services are a powerful force in the Latino community, fostering resilience and healing.
The ACHF Extends its Helping Hand by Partnering with Donors
Since the Ashland Community Health Foundation began in 1977, donors like the Lang family have impacted healthcare services available to the community.
In 2021, the ACHF expanded its services to include community wellness and health initiatives in the Ashland, Phoenix, and the Talent communities. The ACHF partners with donors and other local nonprofit organizations to improve the health and well-being of local communities.
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