Project Grant H79TI087561

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance (CFDA 93.243) program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), awarded a $1,990,000 Project Grant to the North Mississippi Commission on Mental Illness/Mental Retardation, doing business as Communicare. This 5-year federal grant will support Communicare's "COMMUNICARE SBIRT" project, which aims to implement Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) services across primary care, emergency, and school settings in Calhoun, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tate, and Yalobusha counties in North Mississippi. Key objectives include expanding SBIRT screening and assessments, providing brief interventions and referrals to substance abuse treatment for at-risk youth and young adults aged 12-21, delivering SBIRT training to community partners, and integrating evidence-based behavioral health practices such as Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The project will prioritize service delivery for racial, ethnic, and LGBTQI+ underserved minorities, with a goal of serving 450 participants over the grant period.