Newswise — The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing $1.8 million in new, one-year grants to prevent suicide and prescription drug misuse by older adults in five communities. These grants are designed to enhance the array of behavioral health services offered by the programs receiving the grant awards.
These new grants build upon existing Older Adult Targeted Capacity Expansion (TCE) programs. SAMHSA and the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) are working together on this initiative to better coordinate and plan behavioral health services for older adults through aging, mental health and substance abuse prevention networks for states/communities.
“As more Americans grow older it is essential that we do everything we can to tend to their behavioral health care needs since these needs often critically impact their overall health and well-being,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “These grants will help communities across the nation better meet the behavioral health needs of their senior citizens -- including maintaining their mental health and freedom from substance abuse.”
This grant program is part of SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative on the Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness. The five awardees will receive up to $356,344 for one year. The actual amounts of the grants will depend on the availability of funds and the performance of the grantees. The SAMHSA grant recipients are listed below:
1. Jefferson Center for Mental Health, Wheat Ridge, Colo., $356,344 2. Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, Calif., $356,344 3. Oakland Family Services, Pontiac, Mich., $356,341 4. Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas, Wichita, Kan., $355,807 5. Montrose Counseling Center, Houston, Texas, $356,344
For additional information about SAMHSA and its programs visit http://www.samhsa.gov/.
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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