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The Rural Health Medical Program based in Selma received $600,000 Thursday to expand its mental health care services for its six-county area including Marengo County.

The money comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Selma, helped secure the funding for this area.

The funding will expand the program’s mental health and substance use disorder (SUDS) services to combat the mental health and opioid crises. It is part of a $240 million investment by the Biden-Harris Administration to expand behavioral health services at community health centers across America.

How the funds will be used

Keshee Dozier-Smith, CEO of Rural Health Medical Program, said the funds will go toward staffing and recruitment, Telehealth infrastructure, training and development and outreach and patient engagement. The grant benefits all of their service counties, including Dallas, Perry, Wilcox, Marengo, Clark and Monroe counties.

“It also allows us to increase technology to reach more patients,” Dozier-Smith said. “With many fundings as a nonprofit, marketing is the last list item. When you market and you reach that patient, you’re increasing your access and your knowledge for your patients. When you train your staff, you’re expanding our services as an organization to provide to the community.”

Dozier-Smith said they also collaborate with with Cahaba Mental Health and other rural hospitals that joined the SUDS program. She said they work with those organizations to get patients the services they need.

No one should go without access to healthcare

Sewell said she was excited to help expand mental health care across the Black Belt, especially here in Dallas County. She presented the ceremonial check on Thursday, which was World Mental Health Day.

She believes this will help fill the gap in healthcare, but she believes Congress needs to do better.

“In this great nation of so much wealth and abundance, no American should go without access to healthcare, whether you live in a big city or a small town,” Sewell said. “That is especially true for those who struggle with a mental health condition or substance use. We as lawmakers must do all that we can to ensure that our rural communities have access to the treatments and services they need to overcome mental health and substance use struggles, and that is exactly what this funding will do.”

The future

Dozier-Smith said the program will receive an additional $500,000 next year. They plan to expand the program and upgrade the Telehealth infrastructure.

The goal is to not only be able to provide the services. They must educate residents that they can get it here.

“In addition to Increasing the access, we must increase the branding and the marketing that the services are here. That’s the other part of the work that actually has to get done,” Dozier-Smith said.