Whitefish Community Foundation awards grant to expand mental health services for teens

Whitefish Community Foundation awarded a $44,500 Kids Fund grant to Center for Restorative Youth Justice to support its new clinical services program, expanding access to on-site mental health counseling for graduates of its restorative justice and youth empowerment programs.

Families served by the Center face barriers to accessing mental health care, from waitlists and limited provider availability to transportation challenges and the stigma associated with traditional counseling settings.  

By offering counseling in-house, it builds on the relationships staff have established with participants, making it easier for teens to access the support they need. 

“At CRYJ, we’ve always recognized the value of clinical mental health services and seen the barriers teens and families face in accessing those services,” said Catherine Gunderson, executive director of CRYJ. “In the last several years, we have worked to implement programming that reduces stigmas and increases access to mental health services. It was a natural next step to break down those barriers even further and begin offering onsite clinical services to youth who have participated in our programming in the past.” 

Erin Goudreau will lead CRYJ’s new clinical services programming. Erin has worked with the organization since 2020 and currently serves as co-director of youth programs. In 2022, Erin began pursuing a masters degree in social work and clinical licensure at the University of Montana, completing that program in 2025. 

“For as long as I’ve been part of the program team at CRYJ, we have dreamed about a time where we have a therapist in house – someone you can walk a teen down the hall to meet,” said Goudreau. “This pilot is an incredible opportunity to leverage the trusting relationship teens build with CRYJ as an institution in order to connect them to much needed mental healthcare.” 

The Kids Fund was created in 2019 to support programs that improve safety, health, education, and food security for youth across the Flathead Valley. The Kids Fund is made possible by the Circle of Giving, the core group of donors who give $5,000 or more annually to support the grant programs and mission of the Whitefish Community Foundation. To date, over $900,000 has been awarded from the Kids Fund to nonprofits across the Flathead Valley. 

"The best mental health support meets young people where they are," said Alan Davis, president and CEO of Whitefish Community Foundation. "CRYJ has created a trusted place where teens feel welcomed, respected, and empowered. By expanding clinical services, they're ensuring that the support doesn't end when the program does, giving young people the tools and encouragement they need to navigate life's next chapter." 

CRYJ invites the community to learn more about restorative justice and its work in the community at an Open House and Ice Cream Social on August 19 from 5-7p.m. at 110 East Idaho St. in Kalispell.