The Stavros Niarchos Foundation has announced a $15 million grant in support of efforts to improve access to mental health care for children and youth in Greece.

The grant will support a public-private partnership with the New York City-based Child Mind Institute and the Greek Ministry of Health aimed at strengthening evidence-based prevention, assessment, and treatment services for children and youth with mental health issues, including a comprehensive specialist care and referral system. To that end, the initiative will  provide training to help those working with children better identify and prevent behavioral health issues, as well as a helpline that medical professionals can use as a treatment resource; establish a referral center for acute and complex child mental health cases; and help care providers build out their tele-health capacity and develop online tools for families and clinicians.

The grant was awarded through SNF’s $500 million Health Initiative, which seeks to strengthen the public health system in Greece and ensure access to quality health care for all.

"Every child deserves access to professional, compassionate, and dignified health care — including for mental health — and this program represents a significant first step in the effort toward a new paradigm for children’s mental health in Greece," said SNF co-president Andreas Dracopoulos. "The deep expertise that the Child Mind Institute, a respected global leader in the field, will share and further develop with Greek colleagues could contribute to the foundation of a systematic, evidence-based approach to addressing real needs in the country, with a focus on younger generations."