The federal government has announced nearly $6 million in funding for community health centers in Arizona. The money will help support and expand mental health and substance abuse services.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) says health centers like these are often the go-to for people who are uninsured, underinsured or on Medicaid. But centers can only meet about 27% of the demand for mental health services and 6% of those asking for substance use treatment.
Carole Johnson is with the HRSA. She says $240 million was given out across the country to health centers in a merit-based application process.
"What we see among our Arizona community health centers is they're really going to use these resources to hire more staff, get more mental health providers, more substance use treatment providers, train their primary care providers to provide the level of mental health and substance use disorder treatment that they can train their nursing staff."
She also says the money will help beef up prenatal mental health care needs as well as reaching kids for substance use services.
The agency and the White House say expanding access to mental health and substance abuse services is a top priority. Bipartisan legislation also passed last year to make behavioral health a core health center service.
Out of the 10 centers receiving money in Arizona, three are in Phoenix.
According to a release, these are the health centers receiving funds:
- Ajo Community Health Center in Ajo
- Chiricahua Community Health Centers Inc. in Douglas
- Creek Valley Health Clinic in Colorado City, Arizona
- El Rio Santa Cruz Neighborhood Health Center in Tucson
- Maricopa County Special Health Care District in Phoenix
- Mariposa Community Health Center in Nogales, Arizona
- Native Health in Phoenix
- Terros Inc. in Phoenix
- United Community Health Center-Maria Auxiliadora Inc. in Green Valley
- Yavapai County government in Prescott
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