Northfield, Illinois, September 28, 2021 – Josselyn has received a $625,000 Mental Health Awareness Training Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Josselyn will receive $125,000 per year for the duration of the five-year grant program.
This is one of 145 grant awards totaling $17.8 million that were released by SAMHSA this month to help communities increase mental health awareness.
With the support of this grant and a new partnership with NorthShore University Health System, Josselyn will be expanding its Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program to train thousands of local teens and adults over the next several years. MHFA teaches people how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance use challenge, and how to refer those affected to help.
“Awareness is still one of the leading barriers to mental health services, and addressing it is a community-wide issue. This opportunity to expand MHFA will go a long way toward increasing mental health awareness and responsiveness in our communities,” said Susan Resko, CEO and President, Josselyn.
“Many Americans are coping with mental health issues, which have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent natural disasters,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., the U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA.
“Training programs that show how to reach out and interact appropriately with those in need are big steps toward improving the mental health of the Nation at both individual and community levels,” Delphin-Rittmon said.
More information about Josselyn’s MHFA training course is available here.
