Head, Heart and Hands of Indian River Club Awards $10,000 to Tykes & Teens to Support Infant Mental Health Program

March 23, 2021 – Head, Heart and Hands of Indian River Club has awarded $10,000 to Tykes & Teens, a leading provider of the highest quality, evidence-based mental health services and programs for children and adolescents for nearly 25 years.  The funding will support the agency’s Infant Mental Health Programming in Indian River County. 

 

“We are truly grateful to Head, Heart and Hands for their generosity and sharing our commitment to serving children and families throughout the Indian River community who are in need of mental health services,” said Tykes & Teens CEO Eric Garza, MHA, LCSW.  “The need has never been greater and this funding allows us to further our mission of prioritizing children’s mental health in our families, schools and communities through prevention, education and treatment.” 

 

“Head, Heart and Hands of Indian River Club is very pleased to present a grant to Tykes & Teens to further their work in the area of infant and toddler mental health,” said Head, Heart and Hands Board Member Marybeth Cunningham.  “Mental health is a growing concern in our county and, while we need to support it for all age groups, it is vitally important to start at birth to support our children at their most vulnerable age while helping parents raise a healthy happy child.” 

 

The first few years of a child’s life are a blueprint for their entire future. When very young children are exposed to traumatic events, it increases their risk of long-term mental and physical health problems.  Addressing traumatic issues early means healthier children who will require less intervention later in life and can reach their full potential. The Tykes & Teens Infant Mental Health Program is an evidence-based program for children from birth to age five that is typically done in the child’s home or in select childcare centers.  The primary goal is to support and strengthen the relationship between a child and his or her parent or caregiver in order to restore the child’s sense of safety and attachment, and to improve the child’s cognitive, behavioral and social functioning.  It helps improve a child’s behavior and ability to regulate emotions; strengthens the relationship between the child and the parent or caregiver; helps healing from a traumatic experience for the parent or child that is interfering with a healthy attachment; and helps avoid suspension or expulsion from childcare or preschool. 

 

In addition to Infant Mental Health, Tykes & Teens’ Indian River programming includes Healthy Families Indian River County, School-Based Services and Prevention Services, including Trauma-Informed Care and ALTOSS (Alternative to Out of School Suspension), as well as Psychiatric Services and Targeted Case Management. 

 

  

 

 

 

The Head, Heart and Hands of Indian River Club (HHH) was established in 2013.  The goal of our HEAD Program is to develop a deeper understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities that exist within the larger Indian River County community.  Supporting the community through philanthropy is the purpose of the HEART program.  The HANDS Program provides Indian River Club members and residents an opportunity to help the larger Indian River County community through volunteer activities. 

 

 

Tykes & Teens has been a leading mental health provider for children and adolescent evidence-based programs and services for nearly 25 years.  Our passion and commitment are to empowering children and strengthening families by ensuring that all children have access to high quality counseling and mental health services, regardless of financial status.  Our mission is prioritizing children’s mental health in our families, schools and communities through a wide range of prevention, education, and treatment programs and services.  We also advocate for increased awareness of mental health to remove the stigma and shame often associated with seeking mental health treatment.  Since our inception, we have provided affordable quality mental health services for more than 60,000 children in need across the Treasure Coast from more than 50 service locations, including outpatient offices in Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach, on-site services in all Martin County schools, and in schools in Okeechobee and Indian River counties, as well as collaboration with numerous community partners, in addition to virtual telehealth services.  We have continued to offer our services and programs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including virtual telehealth care.  We accept most insurance, private payments, and we are a Medicaid-approved provider. We have successfully administered a sliding fee scale for those in need when necessary for more than 20 years.  As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, we also provide $750,000 in unreimbursed services to the communities we serve each year.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.