SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Tuesday that the State of Illinois has awarded $9.5 million in funding to 40 different applicants across the state to support post-pandemic child and adolescent health. The size of the grants ranges from $83,000 to just over $400,000. Sixty percent of the grants are going to schools, 20% to hospital or clinic-based programs, 17.5% to local health departments and 2.5% to colleges.

Four out the 40 applicants getting funding are in our area.

Arrowleaf in Vienna is getting $249,000. The Egyptian Public Health and Mental Health Department in Eldorado will receive $244,752.53. The Herrin Community Unit School District #4 will see $316,546.94. The Tamaroa Grade School District #5 in Tamaroa will get $278,302.60.

The funding is primarily from the CDC’s COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding program authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) plus $500,000 in state dollars. It is being offered to help schools and local agencies improve student care through workforce enhancements, developing frameworks to prevent adverse childhood experiences, interventions to assist children suffering from trauma, and training for medical and school staff to expand adolescent mental health resources.

The funding opportunity was overseen by IDPH’s Office of Women’s Health & Family Services. More than 50 percent of the applicants for the funding opportunity are receiving funding.

The proposals outline numerous different strategies to strengthen mental health services for students across Illinois. These include developing student support programs and offering specialized curriculums in areas like stress management and nutrition; providing mental health training, education and support for teachers; providing such training for all school personnel; creating suicide awareness and prevention efforts; creating plans for mental health outreach; developing plans to address mental health needs during current and future public health emergencies; hiring counselors and other mental health professionals; and providing telehealth counseling and evaluation services.