According to research by Harvard Medical School and other studies, one-third of people with major depression do not achieve remission after trying multiple combinations of antidepressants and other psychotropic medications. Many persons with treatment-resistant depression cannot afford alternative therapies like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), ketamine infusion, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, or working with an integrative doctor to identify underlying causes and nutritional deficiencies. Others lack insurance that would afford them a beneficial outpatient program, psychotherapy sessions, or a trial with an emerging medicine.
The Community Connection Treatment Grants Program offers small grants to persons who wish to pursue a future treatment for their depression — an alternative therapy like ketamine therapy, TMS, an outpatient program, or sessions with an integrative doctor — but cannot afford it.
Please first familiarize yourself with — read and understand — the Grant Guidelines. Then, when you’re ready, download and print out the following form:
We will also need the additional following information in order to consider you for a treatment grant:
- If readily available (e.g., a part of your existing medical or psychiatric records), a blood test report including Vitamin D, thyroid, and blood sugar.
- A psychiatrist’s or physician’s (or similar-level professional’s) report on the medicines and methods tried but failed.
- Cost evaluation for the new treatment desired and the exact address where this can be found.
- A letter describing your background, family history, financial status, and why the grant is important to you.
Please note, we most likely cannot finance your complete treatment. The purpose of the program is to grant you enough funds to begin an alternative option. You might see that yours is not a hopeless case after all.
Additional documentation may be requested. Grant determinations generally take about 14 days to process. All determinations are final.
Please fill out the above form completely, gather together your supporting documentation as noted above, and send all of it to us at:
- Help & Heal Mental Health Fund
55 Pleasant St., Suite 207
Newburyport, MA 01950
or email it to us at: grants -at- helphealmentalhealth.org