Youths and young adults in Greenwood County will benefit from a suicide prevention grant announced this week by the state of Kansas.
The Department for Aging and Disability Services has secured over $3.6 million in federal funds to help implement suicide prevention and early intervention strategies for residents ages 10-24. This is a five-year program through the Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The goal is to reach youths and young adults in a variety of settings, including schools or other educational institutions, the foster care system, juvenile justice, mental health programs and substance use or abuse programs.
KDADS says it has several connected goals, including enhancing public communication efforts, improving suicide risk recognition by adding connections to “culturally sensitive” and consumer-responsive services, implementing safety net support, expanding access to counseling and improving the state’s capacity to collect and analyze related data.
Greenwood County is among 13 counties sharing funds through this effort.
