Cobb Collaborative has received a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta to expand its Mind Your Mind mental health initiative, which aims to raise awareness, promote resiliency, and reduce stigma around mental health issues in the region.
The organization, a local partner of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership and leader of a 3-county coalition for Resilient Georgia, noted that the funding comes amid increased reports of stress, anxiety, and suicide ideation. According to Irene Barton, Cobb Collaborative Executive Director, “suicide is the leading cause of death for Cobb County youth ages 15-24 over the past five years,” underscoring the urgency of community intervention and education.
Year-Long Programming
The year-long grant will support multiple components. Mental health trainings will include the Community Resiliency Model®, Connections Matter, Mandated Reporter, Trauma 101, Brain 101, and suicide prevention training. The initiative will also develop bilingual digital information containing crisis line contact information and links to mental health statistics, blogs, tools, and supportive content.
Quarterly townhall-style convenings will address behavioral health needs, issues, and resources in partnership with Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid. Additionally, a social media campaign will direct residents to digital content, provide encouragement to those struggling with mental health issues or caring for affected loved ones, and inform residents of local mental health events.
Community Resources
Barton emphasized the importance of the funding: “Now more than ever, it is critical to connect our community with knowledge and resources to help improve positive outcomes for our County’s children and families.” The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta’s support will ensure that critical mental health programs, services, and resources continue to be available and remain open to the community.
More information about the mental health initiative and other work by Cobb Collaborative is available at www.cobbcollaborative.org.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://eastcobbnews.com/cobb-collaborative-gets-25k-for-mental-health-initiative/