The Villages of Indiana expands youth mental health and new parent services

Residents in Central Indiana will have access to more mental health and family support services this month. The Villages of Indiana announced it is expanding two key programs: home visits for new and expecting parents, and mental health care for youth. These changes respond to gaps in current care across the state.

The nonprofit is extending its Healthy Families Indiana program to nine additional counties. This move makes The Villages the largest provider of this specific service in Indiana, operating in 20 counties total. The program offers free, voluntary home visits that connect families with support workers. These workers assist with needs related to pregnancy, employment, housing, and mental health.

The expansion fills vacancies left by former providers. It ensures the program remains active in all 92 Indiana counties. Rachel Colclazier, a senior director at the organization, noted that the new setup reduces travel burdens for rural families. “This allows us as home visitors to come directly to the families, and so we don’t have to ask families to spend gas money to come and visit us. We are meeting them where they are,” Colclazier said.

The state is funding this growth through a four-year investment of more than $34 million from the Indiana Department of Childhood Services. This funding is expected to help an additional 475 families and generate more assessments in the coming year. Separately, Indiana Youth Institute awarded The Villages $500,000 over three years. This grant comes through a Lilly Endowment initiative and will support youth mental health services statewide.

Data from the Indiana Department of Health’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows high levels of distress among state students. Forty-seven percent of youth reported feeling sad or hopeless. The average reported suicide attempt rate among surveyed students rose to 15.7 percent. President and CEO Shannon Schumacher said accessing specialized care for these issues is often difficult.

To address this, the organization will use the new funds to offer services through telehealth. This approach targets youth in underserved areas who may struggle to visit in-person offices. “We know that young people are used to virtual environments,” Schumacher said. “We’re seeing, and research is backing that virtual services work very very well in the behavioral health realm, particularly for this population of youth and teens in particular.” Schumacher stated that the combined state and grant funding allows the organization to meet current needs faster than creating new infrastructure would.

The Villages of Indiana is the state’s largest provider for child and family services. The new initiatives aim to connect more families and youth with professional support during critical periods. Families interested in these services can find more information on the organization's website.