Newswise — The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has selected 11 organizations to receive the agency’s 2011 Science and Service Awards. These awards recognize exemplary implementation of evidence-based interventions shown to prevent and/or treat mental illnesses and substance abuse.

The awards program is part of SAMHSA’s strategic initiative on the prevention of substance abuse and mental illnesses. Now in its fifth year, this annual award program recognizes public- and private-sector organizations, as well as community-based coalitions, that have worked to improve their communities and the lives of individuals by providing the best services possible.

“These award winners deserve to be commended for blazing new trails in providing such cutting-edge, effective services in their communities,” said SAMHSA’s Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “Once again communities across the country have demonstrated prevention works, treatment is effective and people recover. The hard work of the award winners helps make a real difference with substance abuse on the rise in America and significant numbers of people with mental and substance use disorders not receiving care.”

Awardees were chosen in each of five categories: substance abuse prevention; treatment of substance abuse and recovery support services; mental health promotion; treatment of mental illness and recovery support services; and co-occurring disorders.

To be eligible for these non-monetary awards, an organization had to demonstrate successful implementation of a recognized evidence-based intervention, including interventions that have been published in the scientific literature and/or appear on a federal or state registry. Awards were made to the following organizations:

StateOrganization
ArizonaMagellan Health Services, Phoenix
CaliforniaButte County Connecting Circles of Care, Chico
CaliforniaStar View Community Services, Compton
CaliforniaThe Parent Training Institute, San Francisco
ColoradoInvest in Kids, Denver
ConnecticutCommunity Health Resources, Windsor
IllinoisCommunity Counseling Centers of Chicago, Chicago
MichiganOttawa County Health Department, Holland
MichiganSt. Clair County Community Mental Health, Port Huron
OhioCenter for Cognition and Recovery, Beachwood
TennesseeRidgeview Psychiatric Hospital and Center, Inc., Oak Ridge

More information on these awardees is available through the Science and Service Awards page on SAMHSA’s Web site at http://www.samhsa.gov/scienceandservice/.

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

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