Nebraska receives grant to focus on behavioral health

Nebraska is getting a grant to focus on behavioral health, especially in our schools.

The $9 million grant will be used to offer additional mental health resources for Nebraska schools.

The grant comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The Nebraska Department of Education and Health and Human Services will team up to increase mental health services for families.

“The whole idea of what we are doing with this grant and with the system of care is to be more preventative. To get to children earlier, to get to those families earlier, to make available all of those resources in the community to those families sooner so that we can be more preventative,” said Governor Pete Ricketts.

The grant will pay out $1.8 million a year over a five year period.

Three locations in the state – Chadron, Hastings and South Sioux City – were identified as the hosts of these additional services.

The partnering agencies will keep close watch on what services could be expanded to other areas.

“Since mental health is one of the greatest concerns that superintendents have in our state, this is an awesome opportunity to see what kind of best practices we can put into these three communities and then spread it out to our other communities over time,” said Dr. Deborah Frison with the Nebraska Department of Education.

In Nebraska, 40,000 school staff members have taken suicide prevention training.

The state has increased the amount of services offered in recent years.

“Often times when mental illness strikes it starts at the average age of 14. A lot of times it is our schools who are the first to be involved with this and helping our families deal with it,” said Governor Pete Ricketts.

Another new resource that has been implemented recently, the Nebraska Family Help Line, is free and available to anyone in need.

The number to call is 1–888–866–8660.