A new nonprofit organization is hoping to limit financial restrictions when it comes to pediatric mental health care.
Omada nonprofit aims to help children with mental health care, regardless of financial means | Image Credit: © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS - © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS - stock.adobe.com.
The pediatric mental health crisis, which was declared a national emergency in 2021 and was the top safety concern featured in the Emergency Care Research Institute’s (ECRI) 2023 special report, has led to the creation of a nonprofit 501©(3) organization titled Omada, which seeks to help children and adolescents receive mental health care they need, with no restrictions on financial means.
In a press release from the Omada Foundation for Children, the organization stated that self-injury and suicide attempts among children have become the most common health conditions related to emergency department (ED) discharges at children’s hospital since 2019. The foundation noted that nearly “15% of school-age children in the U.S. have undergone treatment for a mental health issue including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts or attempts.”
These observations, concerns, and trends have led to the formation of Omada, led by Douglas Corbin and Cary Hyden. Corbin has most recently served as the senior vice president and chief development officer at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in Orange, California, and has been in the Development and Gift Planning for 3 decades. Hyden has been an advisor and guidance strategist for publicly held companies and charity-based organizations for more than 40 years. He is also the Foundation Board chairman at CHOC. Corbin and Hyden state they are fully committed to shining a light on the pediatric mental health crisis and gathering financial support to address its needs.
“We are not only dedicated to enhancing awareness around the pediatric mental health crisis in our country but to also help generate the financial resources needed to adequately address this critically important issue,” Corbin said in the press release. “When the latest statistics show 1 in 6 children between the ages of 2 and 8 have been diagnosed with a mental disorder and 22% of adolescents have seriously considered suicide, we know the problem is out of control and something has to be done about it.”
“We are laser focused on supporting pediatric hospitals and other organizations serving the mental health needs of children and adolescents across the country and have begun to enlist an impressive team in our efforts to make a real difference in the lives of children and adolescents challenged by mental health issues,” Hyden said. “Amongst others, we have enlisted the support of former Motion Picture Television Fund Foundation CEO, Ken Scherer, and the President of RLM Events, Jim Pari, to assist with our public awareness and fundraising efforts.”
Omada, which was founded in 2023, states it is currently applying for tax-exempt status. Click here for more on Omada.
Reference:
Mental health concerns for children approaching national health emergency in the US. Omada Foundation for Children. Press release. October 4, 2023. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/10/04/2754908/0/en/Mental-Health-Concerns-for-Children-Approaching-National-Health-Emergency-in-the-U-S.html
