Ellis Early Learning announced it has received Mass General Brigham Community Health Impact Funds to support the expansion of Ellis's family support and engagement team.

This funding is part of $3 million in Community Health Impact Funds that has been awarded to 20 local organizations to support mental and behavioral health initiatives in Boston and other parts of Suffolk County. The funding will support skilled mental health professionals serving more than 300 children and their families across Ellis's three center locations in the South End and Jamaica Plain.

"We deeply appreciate the support of Mass General Brigham," said Ellis Early Learning CEO Lauren Cook. "With this funding, we will be able to provide additional support to Ellis's children and families, as well as our dedicated team of educators, leading to better health and education outcomes."

The Phillip and Susan Ragon Building, a multi-year construction project that will result in a state-of-the-art clinical care building on the Massachusetts General Hospital campus, triggered this landmark investment through the Massachusetts Determination of Need process.

"Access to mental health services is essential to advancing health equity, particularly in historically marginalized communities," said Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH, Chief Community Health and Health Equity Officer at Mass General Brigham. "Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety have increased in prevalence in recent years, especially in communities in which systemic inequities persist. With community-based, culturally relevant mental health support, people can better manage their depression or anxiety and ultimately improve their health outcomes."