We are a nonprofit which pays for the mental health therapy of young people under the age of 25 who are uninsured or underinsured. The vast majority of those we help are working families living paycheck to paycheck. Add to that very high deductibles, and their costs of paying for meaningful therapy skyrockets. It is estimated at one local school that therapists have to turn away 25% of students because of cost. It is also estimated by Mindpeace that approximately 20% of young people citywide cannot get the therapy they need because of cost.

In this youth mental health crisis, we are the ONLY nonprofit in Greater Cincinnati which offers this help! We are the bridge for those families so that they do not need to worry about how to pay for therapy on top of worrying about their child’s mental health. Since our launch just over a year ago, we have funded or are funding 62 students from 31 different schools across Greater Cincinnati. In 2024, we spent $16,000 on children’s therapy and have spent $35,000 through September of this year. My husband and I pay all overhead costs so every dollar donated goes directly to a child’s therapy.

We work in conjunction with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Best Point Behavioral Health, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services and Central Clinic Behavioral Health and other school based therapy providers when a family has run out of options for payment assistance. We work through social workers and counselors to identify those families who are the most at risk. We will be working with Mindpeace to identify those school locations where funding is minimal. We are not therapists nor do we choose therapists. We pay for as many sessions as the child needs. We have paid for accumulated therapy bills which have prevented a child from continuing therapy and deductibles for partial or inpatient hospitalization. We have paid for ubers when a family does not have transportation and taking a bus would be extremely time consuming and take away from a parent’s workday. We hope, ultimately, to be a resource for every family in Greater Cincinnati who struggles to pay for therapy! 

The Marty and Bob Jacobs Foundation known as Mental Matters was begun by Jennifer McConnell in honor of her parents who were lifelong residents of Cincinnati and devoted parents. They were a loving and humble couple whose greatest joy was just spending time with their four children, family, and friends. They were generous with their time and love and did not know a stranger. In their spirit, this Foundation has been established in order to help children who need financial assistance with their mental and behavioral health care.

Mental Matters is dedicated to ensuring that mental and behavioral health services are accessible to all youth ages 0-25 regardless of financial ability. We plan to fulfill this mission by funding the mental health care of young people who are uninsured or underinsured.