Project Healthy Grandparents
Helping Families Thrive
Grandparents often become primary caregivers in families where parents cannot raise their children. Unlike traditional foster parents, grandparent-led households may not receive formal training or financial assistance as they step into this unexpected role. And as these grandparents work to meet the needs of their grandchildren, they are often grappling with their own needs as they age.
For almost 30 years, Project Healthy Grandparents (PHG) has supported these grandparents, offering wraparound services that strive to improve their health and wellbeing. The organization has served some 3,600 grandparents and grandchildren in the Atlanta area and conducts hundreds of home visits each year. Building on its already robust programming, two new initiatives are helping PHG address the mental health and social needs of the families it serves.
Research has demonstrated that grandparent caregivers who take on full-time parenting responsibilities experience higher rates of depression, social isolation, and psychological distress. The impact on grandchildren that need to be raised by a grandparent is also significant. In addition to grief and loss, these children have experienced psychological trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Without appropriate support, the grandparents we serve may live in crisis for an extended period because their personal resources are limited or insufficient to meet the demands their caregiver role places upon them,” said Dr. Patricia Lawrence, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC/PC, the director of Project Healthy Grandparents. “Including mental health support in our service model is a vital step toward helping them regain their inner strength, build resilience against adversity, and identify new ways to cope with the demands of raising another generation of kids.”
PHG is now partnering with Sessley Counseling Services (SCS) to provide grandparents and their families with a combination of individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy—offered virtually or in-person at no cost for up to one year. SCS is a sought-after psychotherapy practice because of its expertise in treating the complexities of aging and caregiving dynamics.
PHG also refers grandfamilies to Whitefoord Health Center and Georgia State University’s Psychology Clinic for therapeutic services as well. Both providers will offer sliding scale or reduced fees and will prioritize PHG families in scheduling. PHG aims to add other service providers as it builds new partnerships in Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties.
Supporting both grandparents and grandchildren strengthens the entire family unit. While some programs bring together PHG client families, few programs have focused on “just kids.” Until now. With a new youth coordinator on staff, PHG grandchildren can look forward to fun field trips and connections to mentorship, camps, and after-school programs that will nurture their social growth.
“We want to be more intentional about giving the kids the chance to be kids, to come together with their PHG peers and have fun,” said Lawrence.
When our clients succeed, our communities do, too. We've proudly supported Project Healthy Grandparents’ annual fundraising campaign for more than 25 years. And one of our beloved firm traditions happens each holiday season when we partner with PHG to provide (and wrap) gifts to some of the families they serve. To learn more about the organization and its work, visit https://phg.lewis.gsu.edu/
