The University of Alabama will use $3.7 million in new federal funding to expand behavioral health services to rural Alabama youth from ages 5-17 in Pickens County and surrounding areas.

“Children and adolescents in rural communities are among the most vulnerable due to limited resources and limited access to behavioral health and substance use services,” said Dr. Deborah Casper, CHES associate professor who secured the funding. “Our goal is to promote health, opportunity, passion and equity through the development of sustainable, collaborative, community resources for children, youth and families in rural Alabama.”

The project, which is named Health. Opportunity. Passion. Equity. (H.O.P.E.), is geared toward “providing evidence based, strength based, and trauma informed behavioral health and substance use along the entire continuum of care” for youth. The care can range from prevention to treatment and recovery. It is projected the initiative will impact more than 5,000 youths and their families and will eventually spread across the state.

H.O.P.E has partnered with the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions (CSURRC) to meet its goals in the push to expand available services.

“CSURRC is honored to support this important work, as center affiliated scientists and students continue to proactively address substance use and mental health problems in our state,” said Dr. Mercy Mumba, CSURRC director and associate professor of nursing.

UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences and the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions in the Capstone College of Nursing are leading the program supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.