University of Evansville Receives $25,000 Colts Kicking The Stigma Grant to Expand Mental Health Access

Evansville, Ind. (08/19/2026) — The University of Evansville's (UE) Emily M. Young Mental Health Clinic has received a $25,000 grant from Colts Kicking The Stigma 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 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 making sure people can begin treatment and stay connected to meaningful support for as long as 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 the prevalence of mental health disorders in our communities and raising and distributing funding to nonprofits and other organizations in Indiana and beyond. To date, Kicking The Stigma and the Irsay family have committed more than $33 Million to mental health awareness organizations and research.

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.

The University of Evansville is a private, comprehensive university with a solid foundation in the arts and sciences and professional schools in business, engineering, education, and health sciences. Established in 1854, UE is recognized across the globe for its rich tradition of innovative, academic excellence and dynamic campus community of #Changemakers.

Home of the Purple Aces, UE is located in the southwestern region of Indiana and offers over 75 majors, 17 Division I sports, and a unique study abroad experience at Harlaxton, the University's very own Victorian manor located in the countryside of England. For more information, please visit evansville.edu.

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