Building Healthier Communities Initiatives

Cook County Department of Public Health has two Building Healthy Communities (BHC) initiatives.

BHC COVID Response, Recovery and Resiliency Initiative

In April 2022, Cook County Department of Public Health announced the availability of $8.4 million in Building Healthier Communities (BHC) COVID-19 Response, Recovery, and Resiliency Initiative grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, lessen the pandemic’s health, social, and economic impacts, and address COVID-19 health disparities.

On Nov. 6, 2022, Cook County officials announced 52 grant awards: 39 for suburban Cook County and 13 for the City of Chicago. To prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, lessen the pandemic’s health, social, and economic impacts, and address COVID-19 health disparities, the BHC initiative will: increase access to resources, programs, and services; support culturally- and linguistically-appropriate education and outreach; augment programs and services for mental health, positive youth development, and healthy food access; and improve worker health and safety through coalition building, outreach and education.

BHC Behavioral Health Initiative

On Feb. 22, 2023, Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) announced 18 Building Healthier Communities: Behavioral Health Initiative grant awards totaling over $14 million in funding across four years to expand mental health and substance use prevention, treatment and support in suburban Cook County. CCDPH received an overwhelming 140 grant submissions in response to an open call issued Oct. 26, 2022.

CCDPH streamlined the grant application process to encourage all interested organizations and agencies to apply. CCDPH offered information sessions, and – for applicants not familiar with receiving grants – optional, capacity-building workshops about legal requirements and grant application skills, such as program design, monitoring and reporting.

Grants range from $250,000 to over $1 million each, and are part of the Building Healthier Communities Behavioral Health Initiative, funded under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

For more information about this initiative, program strategies, grant award recipients and funding by strategy, click here.