UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County has received a $2.25 million federal grant to help prevent suicide among military veterans, according to Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr.
“Suicide rates among our veterans are rising and they need our help,” he said in a press release. “We must do all we can to support the brave men and women who have given so much to protect this nation and our freedoms. This funding will make a difference in their lives and in the lives of those who love them.”
Oneida County will receive $750,000 a year for three years through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The county secured the first $750,000 and must apply for grant renewal the next two years.
The pilot community-based grant program provides financial assistance to eligible entities to provide or coordinate providing suicide-prevention services to eligible veterans and their families. More than 240 agencies across the country applied for the gran, and Oneida County was one of 80 selected.
The Oneida County Department of Mental Health will coordinate the provision of suicide-prevention services to eligible local veterans and their families. It will issue a request for proposals in the near future and encourages all eligible organizations to apply. One lead applicant will receive the award and must partner with other agencies for the endeavor.