WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) announced Health360, Inc., based in Waterbury, will receive $4,049,279 in grant funding from AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This grant will support Health360, Inc.’s continued participation in AmeriCorps’s Healthy Minds Alliance program, which partners with a variety of organizations to increase capacity to treat mental health in local communities. Health360, Inc. is a leading AmeriCorps partner in Connecticut, and has previously received grant funding to support hundreds of Public Health AmeriCorps members working in the Waterbury region.
Specifically, this grant will fund placements for 150 Public Health AmeriCorps members at local universities, school districts, crisis call centers, and other community-based organizations. There, each member will receive training on mental health crisis management and work full time for 10 months expanding the ability of each organization to address local mental health needs.
“Investing in resources to address the national mental health crisis will save lives. I am extremely grateful that AmeriCorps continues to support expanding mental health services both nationwide and in the greater Waterbury area,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “Thanks to these federal dollars, Health360 and community-based organizations across the Fifth District will have increased capacity to provide necessary mental health care and support to those in need.”
Since the launch of Public Health AmeriCorps in 2021, more than 4,700 AmeriCorps members have added much-needed capacity to health departments, community-based organizations, schools and more. Serving at the forefront of solutions to the opioid epidemic, the maternal health crisis, and other public health issues, members support their peers as recovery specialists, connect new and expecting parents to critical resources, create safer communities for young people, and respond to disasters.
The grant awarded to Health360, Inc. includes over $1.1 million in Education Awards for AmeriCorps members. After a full-service term, members can receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of approximately $7,395.00 towards tuition at eligible schools and at certain GI Bill-approved educational programs for veterans, or student loan repayment.
Grantees are actively recruiting adults of all backgrounds to serve in Public Health AmeriCorps. There are opportunities to serve through a variety of full- and part-time positions. Members may be eligible to receive a living allowance, professional development, health and childcare support and an education award. Those interested in joining Public Health AmeriCorps can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/PublicHealth.