Community Mental Health of Ottawa County (CMH) has been awarded $3,805,542 in federal funds over the next two years to support behavioral health in the area.
Funding comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
In addition to increasing access to evidence-based mental health and substance use treatment services, the money will enable CMH to become a Certified Behavioral Health Clinic.
Executive Director of Community Mental Health of Ottawa County, Lynne Doyle, said the organization has been primarily targeting the area's most severe mental health cases. By expanding resources, Doyle said she hopes to give more people access to care, regardless of insurance status or severity of illness.
"We’re really hope that we’ll be able to treat more people, that we’ll be able to serve more people and if it’s not us that we’ll be able to refer those folks to other community providers," she said.