Palm Health Foundation to Double Donor Gifts to Grow Mental/Behavioral Health Scholarships and Access for All

September 15, 2022

Foundation seeking donors to support low-income and first-generation students striving to pursue behavioral health careers as shortages grow.

When Patrick McNamara, president and CEO of Palm Health Foundation, established The Mike McNamara Scholarship Fund in honor of his brother who took his own life, foundation leadership decided to honor the new fund by doubling all donations to their mental/behavioral health scholarship funds from October 1 to October 31, 2022. Leading change as Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health, Palm Health Foundation will match dollar-for-dollar gifts between $100 and $5,000 to support the aspirations of low-income and first-generation students in the field of behavioral health, up to $60,000 in total.


Data from Kaiser Family Foundation shows the current supply of Florida’s working mental health professionals meets only 19% of the state’s need. The pandemic caused an increase in anxiety, depression, and demand for services that continues.


“Our world and our community need behavioral health professionals more than ever,” said McNamara. “Consider the rising mental health challenges that we face, race and health disparities, our rapidly growing aging population, and the future of our children. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, and people struggle to adapt, the students who become professionals through our scholarships will help others to adapt. Our behavioral health scholars promote mental health, resilience and wellbeing, treat mental and substance use disorders, and support people in recovery as well as their families and communities.”



Losing his brother in 1989 when both were students at Georgetown University changed McNamara’s life forever. He left his political science education to study psychology, becoming a licensed clinical social worker and eventually landing where he is now – leading a community foundation for health with a vision for all Palm Beach County residents to have opportunities to thrive and reach their full health potential. 

Alexia Betances is a current Palm Health Foundation behavioral health professional scholarship recipient thanks to support from The John T. Merrell Scholarship Fund. Betances shares with McNamara and the Merrell family a life-changing moment due to a family mental health tragedy at the age of ten. Like McNamara, she has channeled her loss into a career in the behavioral health field. Her goal is to provide the support and consistency adolescents need—in the same way her social workers once cared for her—when she completes her master’s in social work at Florida Atlantic University in Spring 2023. 


“I see myself being a consistent person in youth’s lives,” said Betances. “There is a high turnover in our field that affects youth. Once they build a bond and their social worker leaves, it can create trust issues. I want to be a consistent presence.” Receiving Palm Health Foundation’s scholarship has provided much-needed funding to this resilient young woman who has been paying her own bills since she was 17. “I didn’t have that much growing up,” she said. “But now I can see that I can make a significant impact in the community and guide others towards a stable life.”

Like Betances, McNamara sees the ultimate goal of providing scholarship support to the students who will go on to help others. “People living with a mental illness are some of the most amazingly resilient people on the planet,” he said. “They have gifts, just like you and me. They are on the same human life journey and face unimaginable obstacles. They are us. And when we ask for support to advance the careers of those who have made becoming a behavioral health profession their life’s mission, it’s for all our benefit.”


To maximize support for local students pursuing a behavioral health career, and have your gift doubled by Palm Health Foundation, please visit palmhealthfoundation.org/the-scholarship-fund-for-mental-health-professions or contact Carrie Browne, Director of Stewardship & Strategic Partnerships, carrieb@phfpbc.org, 561-837-2281. Gifts may be made to an existing scholarship fund, including The Mike McNamara Scholarship Fund, The Frances Fisher Scholarship Fund, The John T. Merrell Scholarship Fund, The Koehn Family Fund, or the general Scholarship Fund for Mental Health Professions at Palm Health Foundation. Donors may also create their own uniquely named scholarship fund to transform the lives of first-generation, low-middle-income and other deserving students through the gift of higher education.


About Palm Health Foundation 
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $89 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.

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