Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
By: University Communications

The University of Evansville’s (UE) Emily M. Young Mental Health Clinic has received a $25,000 grant from Kicking The Stigma, the Indianapolis Colts initiative to raise awareness about mental health and provide more resources in Indiana and beyond, to expand access to affordable mental health services for individuals and families across the region.

The grant will support the Clinic’s Mental Health Access Program, which is designed to reduce financial barriers that can prevent community members from beginning or continuing treatment. The program will make group therapy available at no cost, cover initial individual and family therapy sessions, and help keep continued care affordable.

The funding will also support efforts to address language, transportation, and other practical challenges that can make it difficult for individuals and families to access consistent care.

“Access to care is about more than making services available; it is about helping people begin treatment and stay connected to support when they need it,” said Dr. Jennifer Braun, Director of the UE Emily M. Young Mental Health Clinic and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology. “This grant will allow us to remove some of the most common barriers to care and continue building a clinic where individuals and families feel supported from their first appointment forward.”

Opened in 2024, the UE Emily M. Young Mental Health Clinic is a community-based outpatient clinic committed to providing accessible, high-quality mental health care to Evansville and the surrounding region.

The Clinic offers individual and group therapy, psychological assessment and testing, and medication management services for individuals aged five and older. Staffed by experienced licensed professionals, the Clinic also serves as a training site for advanced doctoral students in UE’s Koch Family Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Program. All services provided by student clinicians are delivered under the supervision of licensed psychologists.

Kicking The Stigma’s focus is two-fold: raising awareness about mental health in our communities and raising and distributing funding to mental health nonprofits and other organizations in Indiana and beyond. To date, Kicking The Stigma and the Irsay family have committed more than $33 million to expanding services and research and raising awareness.

To learn more about the UE Emily M. Young Mental Health Clinic or request services, visit evansville.edu/mental-health-clinic or call 812-488-5640.