Onondaga County to use nearly $4M federal grant for project targeting youth mental health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded the $3.7 million grant, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced Monday.

SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public-health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation, per the SAMHSA website.

The mental-health division of the county’s Department of Children and FamilyServices will use the funding to support the health-transitions project.

The project focuses on transition-age youth (those aged 16 to 25) who are identified ashaving — or being at risk for — serious emotional distress or mental illness. The goal of the health-transitions project is to support young people who are at risk of developing mental-health challenges as they enter adulthood.

The project focuses on four main components: 1) increasing the use of peers, crediblemessengers, and natural supports to engage the youth in behavioral health and other community-based services; 2) expanding direct-case management services to all youth with any systems involvement to “ensure successful transition” to adulthood; 3) enhancing best practices to meet young people’s needs; and 4) developing infrastructure within outpatient behavioral-health provider networks to support youth moving from the children’s system to the adult system.

Onondaga County would like to serve 300 transition-age youth over the course of the grant, per the announcement.

“Investing in the mental health and wellbeing of our young people has been a top priority of my administration. We have made significant investments in our schools, butwe know that the approach must be more holistic. Our team works daily with experts and community partners and this grant will provide significant support in that effort,” McMahon said in the release. “The demographic supported by the Health Transitions Project is often overlooked and underserved, but thanks to this grant Onondaga County will continue its efforts to reach this population and help them during this important time in their life.”