The Paint Valley ADAMH Board awarded funding to enhance local homeless outreach efforts to connect individuals to mental health services. 9/12/2023

September 12, 2023
The Paint Valley ADAMH Board awarded funding to enhance
local homeless outreach efforts to connect individuals to mental
health services.
(Chillicothe, OH) – The Paint Valley ADAMH Board has been awarded
$119,973.75 to enhance local efforts to connect homeless individuals in Highland,
Fayette, Pike, Pickaway, and Ross counties with mental health and substance
use treatment services. The funding is part of $350,000 awarded across Ohio by
the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS),
Office of Community Planning and Collaboration, Rural Outreach Program.
“Homelessness continues to be an issue in the Paint Valley ADAMH region, and
we know many of the individuals who are homeless experience behavioral health
concerns,” said Melanie Swisher, Executive Director of the Paint Valley ADAMH
Board. “The funding from this grant will enhance and increase local homeless
outreach efforts to connect homeless individuals to behavioral health services in
our communities through peer support outreach.”
The Paint Valley ADAMH Board will provide money from the grant to community
action agencies in each of its five counties to employ peer supporters to conduct
outreach. These peer supporters will aim to foster connections with those who are
homeless and direct them to the community resources they need, including
mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, and other recovery
services.
“One goal of this project is to increase the number of mental health service
referrals within our homeless populations across the Paint Valley Adamh region,”
explained Phyllis Amlin-Snyder, ADAMH Board Chair. “Through collaboration
within our communities and existing street outreach teams, we are hopeful that
these funds will make an impact on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals
who experience homelessness in our communities.”