FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doc Wayne Receives Funding from the Boston Children’s
Route 128 Community Health Initiative
The funding will enable the Boston-based youth mental health organization to expand
programming and support for more people during the ongoing mental health crisis
BOSTON (September 7, 2023) – Doc Wayne Youth Services (“Doc Wayne”), a nonprofit innovator and provider of sport-based mental health therapy for youth, has received $150,000 from Boston Children’s Hospital as part of the hospital’s Route 128 Community Health Initiative. The funding is designed to help advance the health and well-being of children and families.
The grant to Doc Wayne is part of Boston Children’s total commitment of $15.1M over the next seven years (2023-2029) to aid community organizations and agencies in their efforts to support underserved children, youth, and families in the communities of Brockton, Framingham, Needham, Quincy, Randolph, Waltham, and Weymouth. An initial $7.7M has been distributed to funded partners for use over the next three to four years and is focused on two key areas – Mental Health and Well Being and Flourishing Families.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of this esteemed healthcare institution,” said Doc Wayne CEO David Cohen. “The focus of this funding demonstrates Boston Children’s understanding of the community’s needs and its commitment to helping address them, including the urgency to provide mental health supports for our youth. The impact it will have will improve people’s lives and the community as a whole.”
Doc Wayne, a leader in sport-based therapy, offers a number of youth mental health programs including Chalk Talk® (Group Therapy), Therapeutic Recess, and individual therapy. Their external training program, The Champions Network®, partners with a range of organizations, clinicians, sports coaches, and other youth development professionals to train them on how to incorporate trauma-informed, sport-based mental health support into their work with young people.
“We are so pleased to broaden our community health commitment even further to children and families outside of Boston. Through the Boston Children’s Route 128 Community Health Initiative, we will support organizations that are addressing the mental and behavioral health concerns of children and youth, as well as ensure that parents and caregivers have the capacity to build a strong future for their families,” says Shari Nethersole, MD, Vice President for Community Health and Engagement. “The hospital has long recognized that one of the best ways for us to make a difference is to partner with others in the community. This is now an incredible opportunity for us to encourage collaboration and strengthen the connections between these organizations. We hope this funding will promote partnerships, allow them to grow in new ways, and create an even stronger network of support for children and families.”
###
About Doc Wayne Youth Services
Doc Wayne is an innovator and provider of sport-based mental health therapy for youth. We provide services, tools and training that address emotional, behavioral, traumatic, racial, gender, and cultural-based barriers by providing equitable access to better mental health for all. Our clinician-led curricula puts sport into practice; programs are held in a gym or on a field at schools, community centers and in clinical settings. The approach fosters openness and trust that enables healing, the development of life skills and learning teamwork, with the benefits of physical activity. Strengthening the social-emotional skills in young learners helps to build healthier, more resilient global communities. Doc Wayne, headquartered in Boston with an office in Allston, MA, also has a growing team worldwide.
Contact:
Heidi Boie