Volunteer Behavioral Health announced today that they has been awarded a three -year Project AWARE-Community grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the training of a diverse group of adults in Mental Health First Aid. The grant will cover Grundy, Marion and Sequatchie counties.
This training will help adults detect and respond to mental illness in youth in the community. MHFA public education program that introduces participants to the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems and builds an understanding of the importance of early intervention. Participants are introduced to local mental health resources, national organizations, support groups, and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment and support
By implementing MHFA, Volunteer Behavioral Health expects to see an increase in the mental health literacy of adults who interact with youth and increase awareness of mental health issues among youth.
The overall goal of Project AWARE Community is to expand our community’s capacity to increase awareness of mental health issues and connect youth with behavioral health issues to needed services. The program’s objectives include increasing the mental health literacy of adults, increasing the capacity of adults to respond to behavioral health issues impacting youth, and conducting outreach and engagement strategies to increase awareness of and promote positive behavioral health.
For more information on Project AWARE grant, programs, and services, contact Volunteer Behavioral Health at 1-877-567-6051 or www.vbhcs.org.
Program Director: Katie Goforth