May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and local hospitals, schools, businesses, and more are marking the occasion. The effort, led by the Carroll County Youth Behavioral Health Consortium, is prioritizing youth mental health, according to Amy Jones from Catholic Charities, a partner in the consortium.
In 2023, Carroll County received a $4 million federal grant, with $1 million to be allocated to the dozen-plus partners annually over four years to achieve that goal. Alex Gilland, a social worker at St. Anthony Regional Hospital, says the consortium has filled this month’s calendar with events, programs, and initiatives all centered on mental health, starting Saturday morning with the Mental Health Matters 5K at Kuemper Catholic High School at 9 a.m. She says the events continue through the month, the next on Tuesday, May 6.
The virtual interactive discussion runs from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Details on how to participate are included with this story on our website. Jones adds that there are two other dates people should watch for.
The Carroll County Youth Behavioral Health Consortium includes the Carroll Community School District (CCSD), Kuemper Catholic School System, Carroll County Public Health, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Sioux City, Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District, Compass Healthcare Collaborative, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), New Opportunities, St. Anthony Regional Hospital, Seasons Center for Behavioral Health, and Plains Area Mental Health Center.
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