The Leander Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $29,485 grant from the St. David’s Foundation and a $5,000 grant from the Dr. Henry Renfert Jr. fund, part of Austin Community Foundation’s Community Grant Program.
These grants combined with the $50,000 award from the Moody Foundation total nearly $85,000 that will be used to support mental health services for Leander ISD students and their families. LEEF, together with Leander ISD, are excited to utilize these funds to hire a licensed mental health professional to expand the support provided to our students and families. “We are so excited and thankful for the gracious donations from the St. David’s Foundation and the Dr. Henry Renfert Jr. fund,” said LEEF Executive Director Kristen Huguley. “With the COVID response, we know the need for mental health services is more apparent, but we believe this need will extend beyond the pandemic. These funds will allow us to do so much more for our kids and their families.”
The funds will also be used to purchase the subscription of Doxy.me, a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) approved telehealth software for conducting counseling sessions virtually. The mental health of each student and family member is a priority and these funds allow LISD to expand the district’s mental health initiatives. “Within Leander ISD, we have a long-term goal of expanding mental health services to our students and their families,” said LISD Director of Counseling Services Steve Clark. We know we have areas within our community where access to mental health is limited. Through these funds will launch us forward in our endeavor to meet this long-term goal.” This model would not replace the campus-based services currently offered in LISD, but would supplement these services for long-term care, the involvement of other family members and after-hour or weekend hours.
Through a partnership with St. David’s HeathCare, St. David’s Foundation invests over $75 million each year into their five county service area in Central Texas which includes Williamson and Travis counties. The investments they have made has helped improve health prospects for hundreds of thousands of Central Texans. For more information about the St. David’s Foundation click here.
Also serving Travis and Williamson, the Austin Community Foundation’s Community Grant Program believes that healthy living is a doctor we can depend on and providing safe places for our kids to play. Their dedication to their community proves itself by making grants to innovative organizations that are ready to solve problems and bring good health into reach for all of their neighbors. For more details about the Dr. Henry Renfert Jr. Fund and the Austin Community Foundation’s Community Grant Program visit here.
