About our Mutual Aid Funds

Irvington Counseling Collective manages three mental health mutual aid funds: The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Trans & Non-Binary (TNB) Mental Wellness Fund, the Indiana Mental Health Clinicians Mental Wellness Fund, and the Mental Health Relief Fund.

The BIPOC & TNB Mental Wellness Fund is specifically for Trans & Non-Binary and/or Black, Indigenous and People of Color/Culture residing in Indianapolis who would like to request financial support in accessing any mental wellness supporting practices of individual choosing. These funds are available to anyone meeting the criteria of lived experience and can be used wherever they’d like so long as the services that they are seeking are payable to a provider and the person requesting funds can briefly describe how the funds will support them in their mental health journey.

The Indiana Mental Health Clinicians Mental Wellness Fund is for experienced, licensed clinicians who reside and Practice in Indiana who would like to request financial support in accessing any mental wellness supporting practices of individual choosing. These funds are available to folks with 2+ years of post-graduate practice who may be experiencing burnout due to the emotionally demanding nature of the work that we do. Again, funds can be allocated to whatever sustaining service they choose, with funds being paid directly to the provider of that service.

The Mental Health Relief Fund is dedicated to Irvington Counseling Collective clients who are unable to pay our minimum on the sliding-scale, and allows for a very subsidized rate for therapy for a period of time while clients await medical coverage.

Please contact admin@irvingtoncounseling.org if you would like more information regarding the Mental Health Relief Fund. For information regarding our Mental Wellness Funds, see below.

Introducing: The Indiana Mental Health Clinicians Mental Wellness Fund

The Indiana Mental Health Clinicians Mental Wellness Fund was established by ICC to support experienced clinicians across the state in accessing mental wellness practices of individual choosing. Our goal is to nurture the renewal of the heart and soul of those who dedicate themselves to this vital work, reduce burnout and decrease incidences of vicarious trauma for those that serve. 

About the Fund

This fund is available to those who qualify and who would like financial support in accessing mental wellness practices. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Individual and/or group therapy rendered by a licensed clinician or community leader/specialist in their field.

  • Spiritual renewal and engagement opportunities.

  • Gym memberships, bodywork, nature based and/or somatic practices.

  • Art based therapies such as dance, yoga, or writing workshops, and community arts classes.

  • Psychiatric consult, herbalist consult, psychiatric medication costs.

  • Mental health hospitalization or treatment related expenses incurred.

  • Gender affirming services

  • Indigenous or culturally relevant mental health support as defined by individual and community significance.

  • While we will not deny requests for continuing education stipends, we do encourage applicants to consider practices that are for the purpose of individual well-being, sustenance and self care. 

You are warmly encouraged and supported to choose practices that fit for you! 

Please note, we are currently able to offer up to $500 per person/year and totals can be split among different programs. (For example: an applicant may choose to apply $200 to group therapy with their chosen practitioner, $100 toward gym membership and $100 toward a community-based arts class.)

Important Information for Applicants

  • Micro-grants of $500 are available on a first-come, first-served basis, as funding allows, and on a once a year basis to applicants. 

  • Eligible applicants include fully or associate licensed and actively practicing mental health clinicians in Indiana with 2+ years of continued postgraduate experience (LSW/LCSW, LMFTA/LMFT, LMHC-A/LMHC, or PhD./HSPP, Clinical or Counseling Psychologists in postgraduate practice or beyond) living and working in the state of Indiana.

  • Applicants will be required to upload their resume/CV and provide their active license number at time of application. 

  • Please note that funds will be paid directly to the service providers or organizations the recipient wishes to access, not to the applicant themselves. For this reason, it is important that applicants have predetermined what services they would like to access and to where payment should be remitted at time of application. 

  • At the time of application, respondents will provide self-report measures pertaining to rates of burnout and life satisfaction. 

  • Following approximately 30 days from the date of redistribution of funds, recipients will then complete a brief questionnaire related to rates of burnout and life satisfaction, sent by Irvington Counseling Collective, Inc. Information from this feedback will be made anonymous and utilized for donor growth and organizational grant reporting. Your contribution to ensure the completion of this step is necessary and helpful!

Thanks to Our Donors

The Indiana Mental Health Clinicians Wellness Fund is made possible through the generous support of the Colts Foundation's Kicking the Stigma initiative and individual donors. We are proud to offer this opportunity to our community.

BIPOC & TNB Mental Wellness Fund

As of 9/25/24 Applications for the Mental Wellness Fund are CLOSED due to funding limits. We encourage you to monitor social media for updates.

The BIPOC, Trans & Non-Binary Mental Wellness Fund for Indianapolis Residents has been created to decrease the inequities in mental health that exist for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Transgender and/or Non-Binary residents of Indianapolis. Within the Hoosier state and beyond, racism has negatively impacted BIPOC people and as a result Black Hoosiers are most at risk of poor mental health outcomes of any population. Futhermore, legislation has limited or denied access to medical and mental health care and education based on someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

As mental health providers, we stand in firm opposition to the state’s position of harm to our Transgender and Non-Binary community, and believe that People of Color are long overdue the opportunity to access of mental health supporting practices that are culturally attuned and non-harmful. Our commitment is to provide mutual aid to increase access to care which we know can be life saving.

Funds are open to any Black, Indigenous, Person of Color, Transgender and/or Non-Binary resident of Indianapolis and will reimburse up to $500 worth of therapeutic support, as defined by the applicant. Funds will be available on a first come, first served basis and as funding allows. Applicants are eligible once per twelve month period for funds dispersal.

  • Applicants must be 18 to apply or have guardian signature at time of application.

  • Applicants must have an address within Marion County.

  • At time of request applicants must identify what form of support they are seeking and where the funds should be directed, in sum or in part. For example: an applicant may choose to apply $200 to group psychotherapy with their chosen practitioner, and the remaining $300 toward Hormone Replacement Treatment.

  • Reimbursement will be made directly to the providers of services (funds will not be directly paid to the applicant).

If you are a member of the BIPOC, Trans and/or Non-Binary community and reside in Indianapolis, you are encouraged to request funds.