Evergreen awards mental health grants

The Evergreen Foundation board of directors voted at their June meeting to provide the following grants in support of services in Macon County.

? Appalachian Access (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Haywood, Macon, Swain), $20,000 to provide transportation for voluntarily committed consumers from throughout WNC who need to have a plan in place for transportation home after discharge from an inpatient psychiatric hospital; and $39,366 to provide community support services for individuals with behavioral health and substance abuse issues. $25,722 was also awarded for safety changes to the Balsam Center which will enable them to support individuals with a higher level of crisis needs and $10,807 for solid core, fire rated doors in the facility.

? Macon Citizens Habilities (Macon), $16,875 toward the purchase of large fans to cool their day habilitation program and $25,000 toward the purchase of an accessible van.

? Macon County EMS (Macon), $34,499 to expand their community paramedic program to provide in-home medication monitoring for individuals with mental health needs to increase their stability in the community.

? Meridian Behavioral Health (Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Cherokee, Clay, Graham), $37,000 to provide continuation funding for the Patient Assistance Program that provided free psychiatric medications to more than 500 individuals last year, saving them more than $2 million; $23,250 toward the training cost for 25 clinicians throughout the seven-county area in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocess Therapy to better meet the needs of individuals who have experienced trauma.

? Soar, Inc. (WNC) $20,000 toward the purchase of a 15-passenger van to support their outdoor adventure program for at-risk youth.

? Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Haywood, Macon, Swain, Qualla Boundary), $26,500 to provide elder abuse awareness and resources throughout Western North Carolina.

Applications from not-for-profit organizations are accepted on a rolling basis, with the next award cycle in September. Grant proposals are due by 5 p.m.Aug. 31.

The mission of the Evergreen Foundation is to improve access to and public awareness of quality prevention, treatment, and support services by the provider community to individuals and families with intellectual/developmental disabilities, behavioral health, and/or substance abuse needs in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

To learn more about the Evergreen Foundation visit the web site at www.evergreenfoundationnc.org.