Spirit of Motherhood program at Kent State University receives $300,000 grant from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation

Kent State University Psychological Sciences professor Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D. is at the helm of the Spirit of Motherhood program that aims to provide mental health help to Black mothers and their children. The program has received a $300,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. This is the second time the Foundation has given financial support to Spirit of Motherhood; it donated $100,000 to the program in 2021.

According to an article on Kent State University’s website, Neal-Barnett explained what it is that Spirit of Motherhood is trying to alleviate: high infant mortality rates in Black children and stress and trauma in Black mothers. She said, “Black babies are twice as likely or, in some places, three to four times more likely than white babies to die. That just shouldn’t be the case anywhere in this country.”

The Spirit of Motherhood program helps Black mothers and babies not only survive, but thrive, thanks to its combination of offerings intended to address symptoms of stress and PTSD, like parenting classes, music therapy, and written exposure therapy. The program also seeks to strengthen the bond between mothers and their children. Children of mothers in the program can also participate in musical intervention to learn how to handle their own emotions.

The program works in a hybrid format, with each session lasting five weeks. The hybrid nature of the program helps eliminate the common barriers that would keep mothers from being able to participate, like lack of childcare or transportation. Once mothers complete the program, they are also checked in on by program staff at several intervals. The program staff includes therapists, doulas, healthcare workers, students, and community activists.

Neal-Barnett said of her team, “The entire Spirit of Motherhood team feels this is the most important work we’ve ever done. But it doesn’t work without an entire team behind it. That’s why we’re so honored Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation has trusted us with its support to do this critical work.”

The grant from the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation will support the program for the next three years. Neal-Barnett is expanding the reach of the program by partnering with Urban Leagues in Akron and Canton, Ohio, and throughout Cleveland. She anticipates the program will help another 150 mothers by 2026.

For more information about Kent State University, visit the school’s website.