JACKSON, Miss. — Gov. Tate Reeves announced that the state is deploying $13,464,444 to support mental health services for children, youth and students, the governor’s office said Thursday. The funds come from the Community Development Block Grant CARES Act Coronavirus Relief (CDBG‑CV) program and were approved by the Mississippi Development Authority, the office said.
The governor’s office said the funding will expand access to mental health care, increase telehealth capacity, support specialized behavioral health workforce training and enhance community‑based education across the state. “Mississippi is putting this funding to work in a way that delivers real help to our children and students,” Reeves said, according to the release.
The investments will support the University of Mississippi Medical Center and its partners in delivering services to young Mississippians, especially in underserved communities, the governor’s office said. “These grants enhance our three-part mission of health care, education and research,” Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at UMMC, said in the release.
Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork said the grants will strengthen mental health systems and expand access to care for children, students and families. “Stronger mental health resources make our communities more resilient,” Cork said in the release.
The governor’s office provided a breakdown of the grants: CHAMP (Child Access to Mental Health and Psychiatry Program), $3,100,385, to serve vulnerable and low-income children and support UMMC personnel, training and data management; MHNP (Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program), $1,406,001, to create 35 tuition‑assistance scholarships for students committing to underserved areas; SUD (Substance Use Disorder Telehealth and Education Program), $1,206,690, to train K‑12 schools, clinics and colleges on screening and referrals including telehealth; UNITE (Universities Network of Integrated Telemental Expansion Clinics), $3,465,777, for free evidence‑based services for public university students and UMMC patients plus Epic system customization and outreach; MAGNOLIA (Mental Health Workforce Training Program), $2,859,185, to support trainees in psychology, counseling and social work serving ages 0–24; and MS CEAL (Mississippi Community Engagement Alliance), $1,426,406, to train community members and professionals serving the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and students at Mississippi HBCUs, the release said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
