Seleni Institute Receives Landmark Funding From the hope & grace fund

Grant funds support Seleni’s professional training program MMHI4teens

May 4, 2017

NEW YORK — May 4, 2017 — The Seleni Institute announced today the receipt of a grant of $92,617 from the hope & grace fund, a project of the New Venture Fund in partnership with philosophy inc., the global women’s skin care brand.

The grant was made in support of Seleni’s professional training program, Maternal Mental Health Intensive (MMHI) MMHI4teens™, providing professional training and support to mental health workers already serving the 10,000 adolescent girls who give birth in New York City each year. MMHI4teens™ focuses on training professionals on the best ways to engage with adolescent parents, and is tailored to their specific mental health needs.

Seleni has long prioritized the mental wellness of pregnant and parenting adolescents. Teens in both categories suffer with mental health disorders, including depression, at over three times the rate of older mothers and cope with the dual stigmas of teen parenthood and mental illness. In 2017, Seleni combined its expertise in adolescent reproductive mental health with its nationally recognized MMHI and launched MMHI4teens™.

“We are honored to receive this critical support from the hope & grace fund as we expand our commitment to promoting pregnant teens’ and teen mothers’ success into adulthood,” said Nitzia Logothetis, founder and executive chairwoman of the Seleni Institute. “We know a mother’s mental health directly affects the mental health of her children. These young women deserve the same support and opportunities for success as any mother; this tremendous support will allow us to support thousands more pregnant and parenting adolescents with evidence-based mental health care as they make the transition to parenthood.”

To learn more about the Seleni Institute Teen Initiative or MMHI4teens™, please visit seleni.org/siti or call 212-939-7200.