Josselyn receives pair of large federal grants
Josselyn, the nonprofit community mental health provider with locations in Northfield and Waukegan, recently received a pair of large grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
In September SAMHSA awarded $625,000 to the company for a Mental Health Awareness Training Grant; Josselyn will receive $125,000 per year for the duration of the five-year grant program.
More recently SAMHSA, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also provided a $5 million grant to address Josselyn's needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Susan Resko, Josselyn CEO and president.
Resko sited an Oct. 19 announcement by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children's Hospital that declared a "mental health emergency" for children and adolescents as a result of the pandemic.
The $625,000 is one of 145 grant awards totaling $17.8 million that were released by SAMHSA in September to help communities increase mental health awareness.
Josselyn will use its grant money, plus a new partnership with NorthShore University HealthSystem, to help address this need. Josselyn will use those funds to implement Teen Mental Health First Aid training to thousands of teens and adults.
Already the service provider has worked with sophomores, juniors and seniors at Glenbrook North with the Mental Health First Aid curriculum, an international program which is not geared toward high school freshmen.
"This grant couldn't be more timely given the news of this study, and what we've been seeing at Josselyn during the pandemic is there's just an enormous surge in need for mental health support for teens. We're really happy to be able to plug in and increase awareness for how to get help," Resko said.
She said the Mental Health First Aid program helps people identify signs and symptoms of mental health concerns and crises in themselves or their friends, teaches how to make a list of trusted adults to reach for help, and encourages adolescents not to keep mental health concerns to themselves.
"They think they're being a good friend by keeping it secret if a friend is having suicidal thoughts. Obviously it's not a good idea, and this training teaches them why, and how to reach out for help," Resko said.
"In addition to this grant, we also provide training for adults and members of the public, and I encourage anyone who's interested in knowing more by going to our website (www.josselyn.org). I can't speak highly enough about this program, I'm thrilled to be able to bring it to the community."
Established in Northfield in 1951 by Dr. Irene Josselyn as the North Shore Mental Health Association, Josselyn serves all of northeastern Illinois.
The $5 million grant will allow Josselyn to hire 40 clinicians, improve information technology infrastructure for its telehealth program, and provide funding for training and self-care for its social workers, Resko said.
"It's a real game-changer for us, and we couldn't be more thrilled," she said.