Spotlighting: Mental Matters!

Helping Young People Afford the Care They Need 

Having health insurance doesn’t always mean a family can afford therapy. A high deductible or an upfront payment can leave parents trying to figure out how to get their child the help a provider has recommended. In Greater Cincinnati, Mental Matters helps families cover those costs so young people can begin or continue receiving care. 

For this month’s Nonprofit Spotlight from the Brickers Foundation, journalist Paul spoke with founder Dr. Jennifer McConnell about the organization’s work and the families who turn to it for financial assistance. 

McConnell previously practiced internal medicine and wanted to establish a nonprofit in honor of her parents, Marty and Bob Jacobs. Her interest in mental health led her to explore where families in her community needed help. She initially expected most requests to come from people without insurance. Instead, she found that working families with high deductibles often struggled to pay for treatment, too. 

Helping Families Begin Treatment 

During the interview, McConnell described a single parent whose child needed a partial hospitalization program following an emergency room visit. The family could not afford the required upfront payment, so the child went home without starting the program. Mental Matters covered that payment, allowing the child to return the following day while McConnell worked with the program’s financial aid office on the remaining costs. 

She also shared the story of a young person who received funding for weekly therapy over two years. At the time of the interview, McConnell said that student was attending college and doing well. 

Mental Matters works with social workers and counselors to identify young people who need financial help. Its assistance has included transportation to appointments and payments toward outstanding bills that prevented someone from continuing therapy. 

Giving Care Time to Work 

Mental Matters leaves decisions about providers and treatment with the young person, their family, and their care team. McConnell explained that the organization does not choose therapists or impose a standard five-visit limit. 

“We pay as long as a child needs to be seen,” she said. 

That approach recognizes that the length of treatment depends on the individual. McConnell also emphasized privacy, explaining that she often does not know a young person’s diagnosis and limits access to personal information. 

During the interview, she said that she and her husband cover the organization’s overhead expenses so donations can go directly toward care. 

Continuing the Work in Greater Cincinnati 

McConnell’s focus is on having enough funding to respond to requests within Greater Cincinnati. She wants families to receive timely answers when money is holding up treatment, without adding a complicated process to an already difficult situation. 

For a parent worried about their child, the cost of care can become another source of stress. Mental Matters helps address that expense, giving families a way to move forward with the support their child needs. 

To learn more about the organization or support its work, visit Mental Matters. 

Thank you to Dr. McConnell and the team at Mental Matters for all you do! 

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