Franciscan Children’s Hospital

Meeting Kids Where They Are

Through the Children’s Wellness Initiative, Franciscan Children’s embeds licensed mental health clinicians directly in underserved schools across Boston, breaking down barriers that often prevent children from accessing care. This school-based program ensures students have direct access to comprehensive behavioral health services during the school day, including:

Individual and Group Counseling. Personalized care tailored to each child’s emotional and developmental needs.
Medication Management. Supervised by pediatric psychiatrists to ensure holistic support.
Crisis Intervention Services. Immediate, professional care for urgent behavioral health needs.
Family and Teacher Collaboration. Coordinated care that strengthens a child’s support system both at home and in the classroom.

By integrating services into the academic environment, the Children’s Wellness Initiative helps eliminate logistical challenges like transportation, making mental health care accessible to children who need it most.

A Broader Impact

Franciscan Children’s serves more than 600 students each year through the Children’s Wellness Initiative, working in 21 Boston-area schools across neighborhoods like Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Hyde Park. These efforts focus on historically underserved communities, where:

80% of children served identify as Black or Latino/a.
60% come from single-parent households.
Two-thirds of students have experienced trauma, often stemming from family or community violence.

The Children’s Wellness Initiative doesn’t just provide care — it builds resilience in children and reduces the stigma surrounding mental health within these communities.

A Partnership that Matters

Franciscan Children’s is more than a provider of behavioral health services. It is a lifeline for families navigating life’s toughest challenges. The organization’s state-of-the-art facilities, including one of the few pediatric inpatient mental health units in Massachusetts, reflect its commitment to comprehensive, family-centered care. Through programs like the Children’s Wellness Initiative, clinicians deliver Tier 3 interventions, addressing the most critical cases with services such as suicide prevention, threat assessments, and coordination with external resources.

The Corey C. Griffin Foundation’s partnership enables Franciscan Children’s to meet this rising demand, funding care for children whose families cannot afford services and ensuring no child is turned away. This support also empowers clinicians to sustain their efforts amidst increased patient needs and higher levels of acuity. Together, Franciscan Children’s and the Foundation are tackling the youth behavioral health crisis head-on, fostering resilience, breaking stigmas, and shaping brighter futures for Boston’s children.