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Riley Children’s Foundation has landed an $8 million gift from John Lechleiter, former CEO of Eli Lilly and Co., and his wife, Sarah, to make mental health and behavioral health services more available to children and adolescents.
The Indianapolis-based foundation, which announced the donation Friday, said the funds would help make mental health services available through pediatric and primary care offices.
Riley Children’s Health said it is initially embedding mental health services in Riley and IU Health pediatric and primary care offices, reaching 70,000 to 80,000 children and adolescents in diverse urban, suburban and rural communities across Indiana.
Riley Children’s Health is a statewide pediatric system, anchored by Riley Hospital for Children downtown. Indiana University Health, the state’s largest hospital system, is the parent of Riley Children’s Health.
“We want all Indiana children to have the healthiest and most fulfilling lives possible, both physically and mentally,” the Lechleiters said in written remarks. “The increase in mental health conditions among our youth is one of the most pressing challenges we face as a state, and we are pleased to be part of supporting meaningful solutions that improve access to care in the near term.”
The Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction granted $7.5 million in 2022 toward the embedded mental health program, known as integrated care, with the provision that Riley match that amount. The Lechleiters’ gift completes the match and creates a $2 million endowment to sustain the program into the future, the Riley Foundation said.
The Indianapolis Colts also donated $500,000 through its Kicking the Stigma initiative, and the Indiana District of Kiwanis has pledged to raise $1 million as part of its Reach Out Indiana Campaign.
To date, the integrated care program has already been rolled out in eight pediatric and primary care locations, with the remaining sites expected to go live over the next year, the foundation said.
The team is trained to deliver evidence-based interventions for common conditions such as anxiety, depression and conduct disorders, including ADHD, with more acute and complex cases referred to the Riley Children’s outpatient psychiatry program.
The integrated care program also includes virtual evidence-based therapy groups to support children, teenagers and parents/guardians from throughout the state.
“We are grateful to Sarah and John Lechleiter for their leadership and advocacy in pediatric and adolescent behavioral health,” Dr. Ryan Nagy, interim president of Riley Children’s Health, said in written remarks. “This crisis is too immense and complex for any one group to solve alone. This is the perfect example of how we can put innovative solutions in place when government, philanthropists, private organizations and health systems work together.”
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Indiana adolescents, and rates are growing faster in Indiana than in at least 40 states, the Riley foundation said.
John Lechleiter served as president and CEO of Indianapolis-based Lilly from 2008 to 2016. He also served as chairman from 2009 to 2017. He currently serves as co-chair of the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable. Sarah Lechleiter has served on numerous not-for-profit boards in Indianapolis.
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The Lechleiters are genuinely good and generous people. Indianapolis is a better place because of them.