$7.5 Million Grant Awarded to Department of Health and Human Services

Press release from the Department of Health and Human Services:

humboldt county department of health and human servicesA $7.5 million grant over the next four years will make it possible for children and youth throughout Humboldt County to receive much needed mental health services at their schools. This brings to more than $9 million, the amount of grant funding awarded to the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) and its partners in little over a month.

All three awards are Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s SB 82 Triage personnel grants and include nearly $1 million to hire more Mobile Response Team (MRT) staff who serve adults and almost $730,000 additional funding for Children & Family Services MRT staff.

The largest grant, a partnership between the Humboldt County Office of Education and DHHS Mental Health, will provide children with mental health services in school.

In a county spanning more than 4,000 square miles, accessing services can be difficult for people in outlying areas.

“Local students and families confront mental health challenges every day both at home and school,” said Jack Bareilles, the Grants and Evaluation Administrator for the Northern Humboldt Union High School District. “This award will allow DHHS and the schools to hire school-based staff to directly serve children where they are 180 days a year—at the schools.”

The grant will fund 22 positions, including mental health clinicians, case managers and other support personnel. Six clinicians and a supervising clinician will be employed by DHHS, the remaining 15 people will be employed by local school districts throughout the county. Both county and school staff will be stationed in schools.

“We are pleased to partner with the schools to be able to provide more mental health services to school-age children throughout our county,” said DHHS Director Connie Beck. “Having the opportunity to address mental health concerns earlier in children’s lives improves their chances for better behavioral, social, developmental, academic and physical success in the future.”

In addition, Mental Health’s Children & Family Services MRT grant will provide mental health services to young people from 0 to 21 years old in communities throughout the county.

MRT personnel will be located almost entirely in the field, serving locations such as schools, DHHS’s Transition-Age Youth Division’s drop-in center, hospital emergency departments, tribal communities, the probation department and the locked juvenile facility.

Mental Health Director Emi Botzler-Rodgers said these three grants will make it possible to better respond to, support and provide services to people experiencing mental health challenges throughout the community.

“This funding will make it possible for us to expand the services we offer throughout the county, and continue to build on the partnerships we have with law enforcement, the medical community, our educational partners and other service providers.”

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Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

This sounds like a very good thing. If children can have exposure to the very idea of mental health, it will be a tool to have their whole life.

I just hope it doesn’t get tainted by people using it to push a specific social agenda and that all children have access to use it without fear. And parent’s have no cause to be fearful either.

But grant funding is an unnecessary PITA. It can suddenly dry up on a politician’s whim, requires many layers of money sucking bureaucracy and comes with long distant strings. It would be better to have a program encouraging long term planning locally. But at least it’s for a good cause this time.

Veteran's friend
Guest
Veteran's friend
5 years ago

That is a lot of money to waste. Go for it Humboldt.
Or will it be used for children?
We would very much like to see a transparent accounting.

dawni
Guest
dawni
5 years ago

Not to be too much of a naysayer but now if we could entice 22 good employees to take these jobs. Also, the DHHS/Humboldt County hiring process is notorious for taking up to 6 months to actually hire so often potential hirees and up somewhere else.
I really hope we could get some Psychiatrists or Psychologist on board, not just MTF’s and LCSW’s. They have their place but we need some folks that can do big time therapy, and Not just push pills, Talk and Play therapy.

Mendocino Mamma
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Mendocino Mamma
5 years ago

So amazing! The best Outreach opportunities are actually within the public school system.

local observer
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local observer
5 years ago

TAY is probably the single best thing for the youth that need help. great program. more of a talk and participate program that empowers the youth.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago

This is great, congrats to the community!
This is yet another reason why it’s so important to elect the right superintendents of our schools. Did the one you voted for push for school nurses and counselors to restore safety and good health to our children or did the one you elected push the tired & disgusting political agenda? Research research research.

PS. I still hate grants, but am more forgiving when they go for decent overall cause.

Ok
Guest
Ok
5 years ago

I just hope these services get passed down to southern humboldt!!!!