LiftUp Foundation
Because the right care, in the right place, at the right time, can change the entire trajectory of a life.
LiftUp Foundation
Because the right care, in the right place, at the right time, can change the entire trajectory of a life.
Welcome to LiftUp Foundation
LiftUp Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to specialized outpatient mental health and eating disorder care for individuals across Connecticut.
We believe healing should happen in the least restrictive, most connected environment possible — in community, with family nearby, with school and work intact, and with dignity. Our scholarship fund helps individuals access high-quality outpatient services (OP, IOP, PHP) so they can get the expert care they need without being sent away to costly residential programs.
Because when people can stay rooted at home, surrounded by their support systems, treatment works better — and recovery lasts longer.
ABOUT LIFTUP FOUNDATION
LiftUp Foundation was created to close a critical gap in mental health and eating-disorder treatment access.
Across Connecticut, individuals who need intensive outpatient support often face the same heartbreaking barrier: insurance will not cover enough. As a result, families are frequently encouraged to pursue higher levels of care—inpatient or residential treatment—simply because those options are reimbursed more reliably, even when a robust outpatient approach would be safer, more effective, and far less disruptive.
LiftUp exists to challenge that system.
We partner with trusted outpatient programs specializing in disorders of overcontrol—anxiety, mood disorders, OCD, trauma, eating disorders, and neurodivergence-related challenges—to ensure that finances never prevent someone from receiving the right care at the right level.
Our goal is simple:
Keep people in their communities. Keep families together. Keep treatment humane, accessible, and sustainable.
OUR MISSION
To reduce financial barriers to outpatient mental health and eating disorder treatment by providing scholarships for high-quality, evidence-based care in Connecticut, with a focus on early intervention and least-restrictive treatment environments.
We believe recovery is strongest when:
- Individuals remain connected to loved ones
- Treatment honors autonomy and dignity
- School, work, and daily life stay intact
- Families are actively engaged
- Care is interdisciplinary and delivered by specialists
- Community replaces isolation
- Financial limitations never dictate clinical decisions
Our mission is to ensure no one is sent away unnecessarily—emotionally, financially, or geographically.
WHY OUTPATIENT CARE MATTERS
Residential treatment shouldn’t be the default.
For disorders of overcontrol—including eating disorders, OCD, anxiety, depression, and trauma—early, skilled outpatient treatment is often the most effective intervention. Patients learn skills in the context of their real lives, not in a bubble that collapses the moment they re-enter school, home, or work.
Sending someone away is costly — in every sense.
- Financially costly: Residential care can exceed $1,500–$2,500 per day. Even brief stays can financially destabilize families for years.
- Emotionally costly: Leaving home in a moment of vulnerability can intensify shame, trauma, fear, and disconnection.
- Relationally costly: Siblings, parents, and partners face sudden disruption and loss of daily connection. Family systems fracture.
- Academically/career: Students fall behind. Professionals lose wages, momentum, or employment stability.
- Clinically costly: Removing someone from their environment often delays—not accelerates—long-term healing.
LiftUp Foundation believes in preserving lives, not uprooting them.
When outpatient programs are well-resourced and specialists are accessible, most individuals can avoid unnecessary residential admissions altogether.
WHO WE SERVE
LiftUp Foundation provides scholarships for Connecticut residents of all ages, genders, and backgrounds experiencing:
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Mood disorders
- Trauma-related disorders
- Neurodivergence-related challenges
- Disorders of overcontrol (perfectionism, rigidity, social isolation, emotional over-constraint)
Scholarships are available exclusively for outpatient levels of care, including:
- Outpatient therapy (OP)
- Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
- Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)
Our partners use advanced, evidence-based modalities including RO-DBT, DBT, CBT, ACT, ERP, psychiatry, family therapy, and experiential, creative, and holistic supports.
HOW OUR SCHOLARSHIPS WORK
1. Referral or Self-Nomination
Individuals, families, clinicians, or schools may initiate an application.
2. Review and Matching
LiftUp Foundation reviews clinical fit, financial need, and program alignment to ensure that outpatient care is an appropriate and safe level of treatment.
3. Scholarship Award
Funded recipients receive partial or full support for outpatient treatment fees, ensuring uninterrupted access to specialized programming.
4. Continued Connection
LiftUp stays in close partnership with the treatment provider, ensuring continuity, stability, and therapeutic success.
Our commitment: Stability, dignity, and access first. Always.
WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
A donation to LiftUp Foundation does more than fund treatment — it protects a person’s entire ecosystem:
- A teenager stays in school instead of being shipped across the country.
- A parent remains employed instead of losing a job to take leave.
- A family stays together instead of navigating months of separation.
- A college student gets to remain on campus and preserve their semester.
- An individual rebuilds their life with their loved ones right beside them.
Your gift helps us keep Connecticut families intact and lift people toward lasting recovery.
GET INVOLVED
Donate
Your contribution directly funds scholarships for individuals who would otherwise go without care.
Become a Corporate Partner
Local businesses and community organizations can sponsor treatment scholarships or annual events.
Refer a Patient or Family
Providers, schools, and community members can help identify individuals who would benefit from specialty outpatient care.
Volunteer
Join our fundraising events, community outreach efforts, and awareness initiatives.
Host a LiftUp Dinner or Community Conversation