BRIEF: Manatee health center receives $250,000 to aid in mental health, substance abuse treatment

Nov. 07--MANATEE -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $250,000 to a Palmetto health care provider to support mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Manatee County Rural Health Services was given the $250,000 as part of Affordable Car Act funding, which HHS said will be used for hiring new mental health professionals, adding mental health and substance use disorder health services and employing integrated models of primary care.

Awards totaled $51.3 million in funding to support 210 health centers in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for nearly 440,000 people nationwide.

"Today's awards will give health centers the ability to improve access and care for individuals in need of mental health services," said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield in a release Thursday. "These funds support the qdministration's focus on improving recognition of and responding to the mental health needs of people nationwide."

Five of the 210 recipients awarded money are located in Florida, including three in Miami and one in Palatka.

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