The Umatilla County Public Health Department has been awarded a grant in the amount of $167,000 to expand mental health services currently offered to students served by the Pendleton School-Based Health Centers.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to further develop services currently offered to students of this community,” said Umatilla County Public Health Director Sarah Williams.
The School-Based Health Centers, located at Sunridge Middle School and Pendleton High School, provide mental and physical health services to enrolled students. Mental health services have been limited due to funding constraints, said Williams.
“This grant will support to increase the number of students who will have access to mental health services and offer a more integrated health care system within the SBHC,” Williams said.
There is currently one mental health provider who splits about 20 hours a week between the two centers. The grant money will allow the number of hours a provider is available to more than double.
Williams said school-based health centers improve the overall health and wellness of students through behavioral and health screenings, health promotion and disease prevention activities. The School-Based Health Centers are operated by Umatilla County Public Health in collaboration with Pendleton School District and St. Anthony’s Hospital.
