For more than seven decades, a league of philanthropic women has raised millions of dollars for the wellbeing of Dallas County children.

Now, the women of The Crystal Charity Ball — a nonprofit that has raised $185 million in its more than 70 years for local children’s charities — have pledged $10 million to support the mental health needs of these children.

The donation will benefit the Behavioral Health Integration and Guidance Initiative — a collaborative effort between Children’s Health℠ and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute to tackle the pediatric mental health epidemic from a new (and earlier) lens.

The solution: Train and empower pediatricians across North Texas to detect and address mental health needs before they escalate.

“Mental health crosses all socioeconomic barriers. All families are touched by this,” said Connie O’Neill, former chairman of The Crystal Charity Ball. “We were compelled by this project’s efforts to address mental health concerns in the early stages and change the trajectory of a child’s life. This initiative could be monumental and really move the needle for the city of Dallas.”

Connie said The Crystal Charity Ball members were already aware of the need to increase pediatric access to mental health care from findings in the 2021 Beyond ABC report published by Children’s Health. The report highlighted a need to strengthen mental and behavioral health care for Texas children — noting that in 2020, emergency rooms saw a 24% increase in mental health-related visits for kids ages 5 to 11 and a 31% increase for older children.

The 100-member nonprofit unanimously voted to raise funds to support the mental health initiative as its signature project to celebrate its 70th anniversary. To date, The Crystal Charity Ball is the most significant contributor to this project, which is already providing a path for pediatricians, children and families to gain expanded access to mental health care. This means issues are being addressed before they reach a crisis point.

“It’s a new idea to empower physicians so they can address mental health needs with their patients earlier. We know this gift will go a long way to creating a widespread impact on the children in our community,” said Susan Farris, past chairman of The Crystal Charity Ball.