HRSA grants $100,000 to Rural Northwest Missouri Behavioral Health Consortium

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has committed $100,000 to support the Rural Northwest Missouri Behavioral Health Consortium.

The consortium is led by Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville and includes partner organizations Mosaic Medical Center – Albany, Family Guidance Center, Northwest Missouri State University, New Beginnings Counseling Center and the Northwest Missouri Cooperative Mental Health Board.

Funds through HRSA’s Rural Network Planning funding will be used to address a growing pediatric and adolescent mental health crisis in rural northwest Missouri with the goal of creating an infrastructure for optimizing resources and creating a regional behavioral health network.

“We want to thank HRSA for their belief in the mission and vision of our consortium,” said Nate Blackford, president, Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville. “Their investment will help ensure the success of our efforts as we work together to identify needs, develop resources and formulate a strong plan to continue making strides towards improving this mental health crisis.”

This planning grant will provide the resources needed by the consortium to do a comprehensive pediatric mental health needs assessment and asset mapping. This assessment will examine which populations are having difficulty accessing resources in which communities. It will also provide information on where the network can best implement community education and provider training with relative simplicity to close these gaps.

The consortium appreciates HRSA for prioritizing and funding pediatric mental health initiatives. Efforts will be focused within these six northwest Missouri counties: Andrew, Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth Counties.